On Saturday we went to the press preview night of Kynren in Bishop Auckland. We visited last year for the first time and it was genuinely one of the highlights of our year so were thrilled to be able to attend again.
It’s a huge, HUGE outdoor production with a cast of almost a thousand. It really is the true meaning of the word ‘epic’.
The show depicts the history of England over the last 2000 years, covering everything from the Vikings, William the Conqueror, the civil war, the Industrial Revolution, the World Wars, and women’s suffrage.
I really can’t state enough just how good it was. It was truly incredible! We were very lucky with the weather as last year it rained the whole evening. The show will still go ahead even if it rains, so as long as you are prepared (think ponchos or raincoats) nothing will stop the fun.
Now that you have an idea of just how fabulous I thought it was, let me tell you a bit about the practicalities. There are food stalls available (card only) but you can’t take hot food into the Tribune (the stands). So, it’s a good idea to get there a bit earlier so you can have something to eat. The prices were very reasonable, especially considering they have a captive audience! You can see what’s available and the prices here:
There is a Viking village to look around before the show, with lots of authentic looking Vikings doing various Vikingy things!
We saw a sword fight, a forge and Vikings doing various crafts.
Once you’ve eaten and walked around the Viking village, it’s time to take your seat. Seats are priced differently depending on where they are in the row. Obviously, the middle seats are the most expensive and get the best view. But really I think you would have a pretty good view wherever you were.
The finale was magnificent and reminiscent of the end of last night of the proms with Union Jacks, fireworks and the Land of Hope and Glory playing – very patriotic! In fact, it was all magnificent. Such clever use of lighting, music, water and pyrotechnics. I can’t emphasise enough just how much we loved it and I’m sure you would too.
We were invited along to the press preview. As always all opinions expressed are my own.
