I cycled 9 miles each way on Saturday, went by bus and walked 4 miles each way on Sunday to Buckland Abbey. I’m 66 and would do it all again tomorrow if you were still there. You were blazingly wonderful. Thank you for one of the best weekends I’ve ever spent. Please come again.
Thank you so much Jane for such lovely feedback, so glad to hear you enjoyed watching as much as we enjoyed performing and being at Buckland 🙂 It was fantastic to have such a brilliant audience so willing to be a part of the show and the atmosphere was wonderful. We would love to do more events there in the future so do watch this space!
We visited Buckland Abbey on Sunday 12th August and found ourselves immersed in a magical world of kings and queens that mesmerised us and our children aged 7 and 9. We are still thinking and talking the experience a week later with big smiles on our faces. You have made a big impression. We wish you all the best for future projects.
That’s wonderful to hear that you all had such a good time, and so pleased your children enjoyed it. It was great to have all ages at the event watching some of Shakespeare’s most challenging plays and historical re-enactment and we were amazed by how keen some of our youngest viewers were – we are so glad we could bring Shakespeare and medieval history to life for them. Thank you for coming and for leaving such a lovely comment 🙂
On holiday in the Tamar Valley with our two sons (13 & 11), we went to Buckland after church on the Sunday not particularly expecting to find any special activities. Seeing a sign for the Wars of the Roses led us to think we were coming to a 1471 reconstruction similar to one we had attended five years before (also happening this weekend, I see). We were a bit puzzled by the small number of tents, and weren’t quite sure what we had walked into in the Barn. Then the penny dropped! Two and a half plays later, the boys had had their first live experience of Shakespeare, and loved it. So did we, of course, inside and out. Living in North Yorkshire, with Northumberland, Durham and Cumbria connections as well, the Histories connect with many of our favourite places and their stories.
We are so sad to have missed Saturday: but the pleasure of being among the select band who were there at the very end was considerable (even if Gloucester had to dance with our son…). It was obviously an extraordinary achievement for all of you, and we hope your careers develop well in years to come.
One minor quibble, if I may: the choice of Allegri’s Miserere (much over-used in film and TV drama for amosphere) for the coffin procession was both anachronistic and beyond the musical resources available. Plainsong, something obscure from 15th century England, or even something specially written, would have worked much better. But that was a fleeting moment in hours of excellence
Hello Paul, we’re very glad to hear that you stumbled across our performance and that you all enjoyed it so much and stayed until the end. Lovely to hear that our show was your boys’ first experience of live Shakespeare and that they loved it. Yes it was definitely our biggest event so far, we really enjoyed it – the Abbey is such a fantastic place to perform – and we hope to create more such events combining theatre and living history in the future.
That’s true, while we aimed for a medieval experience overall we were tempted into a very few anachronisms here and there with the music and dance (we also had a couple of bawdy Elizabethan songs in the taverns Hal visits on Saturday and sneaked a galliard and a pavane into King Richard II’s court..) sometimes for a desired effect but mostly because we wanted to give a few nods to the era Shakespeare lived and worked in – especially since Buckland has both significant Medieval and Elizabethan connections (also several of us have done quite a lot of original practices Shakespearean performance courtesy of Globe Education dept and Exeter University, with cue-scripts, jigs, contemporary tunes and all! So some of those elements were too much temptation for us..).
Thanks again for staying until the finale – and special thanks to your son for joining in with the medieval chain dancing!
I still think a piece of mid C17 Vatican music (that’s not normally associated with funeral processions, and may not have been known in England until rather later) stuck out like a tor on Dartmoor….!
But thanks again for a wonderful day.
My last statement about the non-association of Psalm 51 with funeral processions may have been slightly over-dogmatic. Listening to the Early Music Show on R3, I note that one of the court composers did set part of the psalm as a motet in the VERY elaborate funeral arrangements made for Anne of Brittany, twice Queen of France. So the text might fit. But not Allegri!!!
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme
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between user friendliness and visual appeal.
I must say you have done a superb job with this.
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Please do make this an annual fixture at Buckland Abbey! We came yesterday and were so impressed by your vivid, engaging drama – in extremely demanding conditions – that we came back again today [quite a long journey]. We wish for you that more people had witnessed your work but at the same time we felt privileged to benefit from such intimate performances. It was much appreciated and our 12 year-old daughter is now even more completely won over by Shakespeare:
It was awesome xD and my 50 and 49 year old parents enjoyed it too.
Thanks ever so much Alban and Ruth for your lovely comment 🙂 it’s really wonderful to hear that the performances were engaging for all ages – and so glad that you could join us for both days! We hope to keep expanding the company and will do our very best to set up something annual – wish us luck and do spread the word! 🙂
I have to thank you again for an outstanding set of performances of Shakespeare’s comedies at Buckland Abbey last weekend. I hadn’t thought that last year’s event could be equalled but it was, and how nice to recognise familiar faces and see new ones. It’s not just the acting which is unbeatable, but the subtle interpretations, the staging and the costumes. (Who invented the merman-like beautiful and scary Puck outfit?) Complemented by fascinating dancing from Mock Hobby Horse and music all day, it was a perfect weekend. You obviously enjoyed it yourselves even if it was a bit hot. Please come back next year!
Thank you so much for your kind words Jane! We had a great weekend and so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Please do leave feedback with the National Trust too – we hope very much to be invited back again and create more immersive Shakespearean fun! Thanks again, & hopefully see you at future events 🙂
theelysiumtheatrecompany 
Aug 14, 2012 @ 01:24:00
I cycled 9 miles each way on Saturday, went by bus and walked 4 miles each way on Sunday to Buckland Abbey. I’m 66 and would do it all again tomorrow if you were still there. You were blazingly wonderful. Thank you for one of the best weekends I’ve ever spent. Please come again.
Aug 14, 2012 @ 22:46:06
Thank you so much Jane for such lovely feedback, so glad to hear you enjoyed watching as much as we enjoyed performing and being at Buckland 🙂 It was fantastic to have such a brilliant audience so willing to be a part of the show and the atmosphere was wonderful. We would love to do more events there in the future so do watch this space!
Aug 20, 2012 @ 19:20:44
We visited Buckland Abbey on Sunday 12th August and found ourselves immersed in a magical world of kings and queens that mesmerised us and our children aged 7 and 9. We are still thinking and talking the experience a week later with big smiles on our faces. You have made a big impression. We wish you all the best for future projects.
Aug 21, 2012 @ 23:52:19
That’s wonderful to hear that you all had such a good time, and so pleased your children enjoyed it. It was great to have all ages at the event watching some of Shakespeare’s most challenging plays and historical re-enactment and we were amazed by how keen some of our youngest viewers were – we are so glad we could bring Shakespeare and medieval history to life for them. Thank you for coming and for leaving such a lovely comment 🙂
Aug 25, 2012 @ 17:32:03
On holiday in the Tamar Valley with our two sons (13 & 11), we went to Buckland after church on the Sunday not particularly expecting to find any special activities. Seeing a sign for the Wars of the Roses led us to think we were coming to a 1471 reconstruction similar to one we had attended five years before (also happening this weekend, I see). We were a bit puzzled by the small number of tents, and weren’t quite sure what we had walked into in the Barn. Then the penny dropped! Two and a half plays later, the boys had had their first live experience of Shakespeare, and loved it. So did we, of course, inside and out. Living in North Yorkshire, with Northumberland, Durham and Cumbria connections as well, the Histories connect with many of our favourite places and their stories.
We are so sad to have missed Saturday: but the pleasure of being among the select band who were there at the very end was considerable (even if Gloucester had to dance with our son…). It was obviously an extraordinary achievement for all of you, and we hope your careers develop well in years to come.
One minor quibble, if I may: the choice of Allegri’s Miserere (much over-used in film and TV drama for amosphere) for the coffin procession was both anachronistic and beyond the musical resources available. Plainsong, something obscure from 15th century England, or even something specially written, would have worked much better. But that was a fleeting moment in hours of excellence
Aug 25, 2012 @ 23:34:43
Hello Paul, we’re very glad to hear that you stumbled across our performance and that you all enjoyed it so much and stayed until the end. Lovely to hear that our show was your boys’ first experience of live Shakespeare and that they loved it. Yes it was definitely our biggest event so far, we really enjoyed it – the Abbey is such a fantastic place to perform – and we hope to create more such events combining theatre and living history in the future.
That’s true, while we aimed for a medieval experience overall we were tempted into a very few anachronisms here and there with the music and dance (we also had a couple of bawdy Elizabethan songs in the taverns Hal visits on Saturday and sneaked a galliard and a pavane into King Richard II’s court..) sometimes for a desired effect but mostly because we wanted to give a few nods to the era Shakespeare lived and worked in – especially since Buckland has both significant Medieval and Elizabethan connections (also several of us have done quite a lot of original practices Shakespearean performance courtesy of Globe Education dept and Exeter University, with cue-scripts, jigs, contemporary tunes and all! So some of those elements were too much temptation for us..).
Thanks again for staying until the finale – and special thanks to your son for joining in with the medieval chain dancing!
Aug 26, 2012 @ 14:13:19
I still think a piece of mid C17 Vatican music (that’s not normally associated with funeral processions, and may not have been known in England until rather later) stuck out like a tor on Dartmoor….!
But thanks again for a wonderful day.
Aug 26, 2012 @ 14:32:48
My last statement about the non-association of Psalm 51 with funeral processions may have been slightly over-dogmatic. Listening to the Early Music Show on R3, I note that one of the court composers did set part of the psalm as a motet in the VERY elaborate funeral arrangements made for Anne of Brittany, twice Queen of France. So the text might fit. But not Allegri!!!
May 14, 2013 @ 19:56:42
Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme
of this blog. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s hard to get that “perfect balance”
between user friendliness and visual appeal.
I must say you have done a superb job with this.
Additionally, the blog loads very quick for me on Internet
explorer. Superb Blog!
Jul 14, 2013 @ 21:17:05
Please do make this an annual fixture at Buckland Abbey! We came yesterday and were so impressed by your vivid, engaging drama – in extremely demanding conditions – that we came back again today [quite a long journey]. We wish for you that more people had witnessed your work but at the same time we felt privileged to benefit from such intimate performances. It was much appreciated and our 12 year-old daughter is now even more completely won over by Shakespeare:
It was awesome xD and my 50 and 49 year old parents enjoyed it too.
Aug 06, 2013 @ 11:46:10
Thanks ever so much Alban and Ruth for your lovely comment 🙂 it’s really wonderful to hear that the performances were engaging for all ages – and so glad that you could join us for both days! We hope to keep expanding the company and will do our very best to set up something annual – wish us luck and do spread the word! 🙂
Jul 21, 2013 @ 12:57:45
I have to thank you again for an outstanding set of performances of Shakespeare’s comedies at Buckland Abbey last weekend. I hadn’t thought that last year’s event could be equalled but it was, and how nice to recognise familiar faces and see new ones. It’s not just the acting which is unbeatable, but the subtle interpretations, the staging and the costumes. (Who invented the merman-like beautiful and scary Puck outfit?) Complemented by fascinating dancing from Mock Hobby Horse and music all day, it was a perfect weekend. You obviously enjoyed it yourselves even if it was a bit hot. Please come back next year!
Aug 06, 2013 @ 11:39:14
Thank you so much for your kind words Jane! We had a great weekend and so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Please do leave feedback with the National Trust too – we hope very much to be invited back again and create more immersive Shakespearean fun! Thanks again, & hopefully see you at future events 🙂