Kynren
| Kynren | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A view of Flatts Farm, the venue for Kynren, taken from Bishop Auckland. | |
| Begins | End of June |
| Ends | Middle of September |
| Venue | Flatts Farm, Bishop Auckland |
| Capacity | 8,000 viewers |
| Area | Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England |
| Website | Main site |
Kynren - "An Epic Tale of England" (/kɪnrɛn/) is a live outdoor show[1] which takes place on Eleven Arches Flatts Farm near Auckland Castle,[2] located in Bishop Auckland, in North East England. The performance depicts important moments from British tradition and history, including the Roman conquest of Britain, King Arthur's search for the Holy Grail, and Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech during WW2.[3] Kynren generally runs on Saturdays through the summer months (late June to mid September, usually with a mid-season break)[4] Kynren is run by the Charity Eleven Arches[5] and the majority of the cast and crew are volunteers, with over 1000 currently taking part.[6] The show was inspired by and has similar themes to the french Puy du Fou theme park and show.[5]
Plot
The show is narrated by a fictional ten-year-old boy named Arthur who travels back through time to witness various pivotal events from the history of Great Britain, with a soft focus on Northern England.[citation needed]
History
The endowment to create Kynren was donated by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer in 2014[7] and the first public performance occurred on the 2nd of July 2016.[8] The show will enter its fifth season in the summer of 2021.[6]
The 2020 season of Kynren was cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.[9] During the cancelled season, Jonathan Ruffer sponsored the costs to keep the farm running and ready for the next season.[10]
Awards
Kynren, Eleven Arches, and the volunteers have won various awards including:
- Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (2018)[11]
- Innovation in Tourism Award (2018)[12]
- Accessibility Award (2019)[13]
- Green Tourism Award (2019)[14]
The Park
In 2021, the Eleven Arches team plan to open "The Park", which will include a number of outdoor attractions and smaller live-shows which will run on show days, leading up to the main event.[15]
Plans for the park include a horseback stunt show, a maze, live music, and a new children's playground.
The Park was originally planned to open in 2020, however the 2020 season and all shows was cancelled due to the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak. [9]
References
- ^ "Kynren Experience". www.kynren.com. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ "Kynren: how to find us". Kynren.com. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ "Kynren: 2,000 years of British history in one quirky show". The Independent. 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
- ^ "Book Tickets for Kynren". www.kynren.com. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ a b "Our Story". elevenarches.org. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ a b "Northern Echo, Kynren Season Four".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Benefactor plans theme park for Bishop Auckland". ITV News. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ Whetstone, David (2016-07-03). "£30m Kynren history production in Durham receives standing ovation". nechronicle. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ a b "Season 2020". www.kynren.com. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- ^ "Open-air history show cancelled over virus doubts". BBC News. 2020-06-23. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- ^ Durham, Business. "Kynren wins the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service". www.businessdurham.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ "Kynren wins Innovation in Tourism Award at 2018 Group Travel Awards". UKinbound. 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ Hodgson, Barbara (2019-08-06). "Award for Kynren as disabled and deaf viewers praise experience". nechronicle. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ "Kynren Picks Up Green Tourism Award". www.kynren.com. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
- ^ "The Park". www.kynren.com. Retrieved 2020-07-16.