VIKING INVASION HITS BISHOP AUCKLAND AHEAD OF KYNREN 2024 SHOW
Excitement is building as Kynren's cast and crew prepare the final touches for their pre-show entertainment ahead of the 2024 season.
Audiences in County Durham are in for a treat with the introduction of "Return of The Vikings," an immersive new experience featuring an authentic Viking Village complete with a working blacksmith’s forge, cottages, and a cookhouse.
This new addition offers a unique glimpse into the lives of the Scandinavian invaders who once lived in northeast England, providing guests with extra value and a richer experience before the main 90-minute show.
The village, designed to replicate a traditional 9th-century settlement, includes wooden roundhouses, a hillside woodworker’s cottage, a vegetable patch, and various livestock. Visitors can watch villagers go about their daily routines, preparing for raids and engaging in traditional crafts.
Preparations at Kynren's Return of the Vikings
Kynren has gone to great lengths to ensure authenticity, even acquiring a flock of rare Icelandic chickens, originally bred by Vikings and tracing their lineage back to the 9th century.
These chickens join a diverse menagerie of animals in the show, which also features 39 performance horses, donkeys, sheep, geese, goats, and cows.
In preparation for the first show on 27th July, volunteers are honing traditional blacksmith techniques in the Viking Village’s forge, crafting real arrowheads, and mastering woodworking and nalbinding, the oldest known fabric creation technique.
Volunteer blacksmith Dan Malkin shared his enthusiasm, stating, “Participating in Kynren has allowed me to learn invaluable heritage skills and experience what it’s like to be a farrier. I’m excited to perform these skills in front of an audience and show the strength required for such tasks – the Vikings were truly tough!”
Kynren's Return of the Vikings
Kynren’s 1,000-strong cast and crew are all volunteers, and the organization prides itself on creating opportunities that positively impact participants' wellbeing. Wendy Wilshere, head of volunteer casting and engagement, emphasized, “We constantly enhance Kynren’s offerings so that returning audiences always have something new to marvel at. Our volunteers gain new skills and experiences, and we couldn’t achieve what we do without their dedication and expertise. We are incredibly grateful for their contributions.”
Volunteers have also been practicing intricate combat scenes for the Viking Village, in addition to the complex fighting skills required to portray England’s history on the seven-and-a-half-acre stage.
Join us as legends come to life and journey through 2,000 years of history and adventure, seen through the eyes of Arthur, the son of a mining family. From the legendary exploits of Boudicca and King Arthur to the grandeur of Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, immerse yourself in a world where Vikings storm, knights clash, miners toil, and heroes rise under epic skies.
The 90-minute performances, starting at sunset and concluding under the stars, will take place every Saturday night from 27th July to 14th September. Tickets are priced from £26 for adults and from £16 for under 18s, with free entry for children aged 3 and under when seated on an adult’s knee. Entry to the Viking Village is included in the ticket price.
For more information and to book tickets, visit www.kynren.com.