21st June 2007.
Last September I was a resident of Luton and took my children to the Medieval Event in Houghton Regis.
1. Parking.
As the event was free, and I had to travel from out of the area, to Houghton Regis, I would have been quite happy to pay a nominal fee for parking - £1 or £1.50.
My thought on this would be that local people could park for free on production of a utility bill with their LU5 postcode on it; others to pay £1.
2. Begging.
Whilst in the car parking area we were approached by a person asking "Can you spare a pound as I've run out of petrol and left my money at home." I think the police should be made aware of this in case of a reoccurence.
3. Music During the Jousting.
Whilst enjoying the joust itself, I felt that up to date modern pop songs "We will, we will rock you." was inappropriate for the theme of the day. Medieval style of string music would have helped create a better mood, and helped people to stay within the spirit of the day.
4. Lack of a Central Co-ordinating Point.
When I needed to ask for information, there was no obvious place to ask (actually it was "Where are the toilets?")
5. Armoury
One marquee in particular had a massive run on wooden swords. Young boys, mine included, were suddenly demanding a sword, just because they'd seen someone else with one. When I finally went to get one, there were none left, and my son, rather disappointedly, had to make do with a bow and arrow (the bow broke the very next day. So if there are going to be toys like this for sale, the vendor (or vendors) need to well stocked.
6. Newsletter.
At medieval event I witnessed in Lancaster, a 2 sided A3 newsheet had been produced for sale at the event, which gave the reader news about the latest produce to be sold at auction from a rare trip to distant parts; stories about a ship lost at sea with 25 men and all cargo washed overboard; about the names of the latest people to be shipped to Australia for stealing a handkerchief; advertisements for a half-penny worth of tea. I’m making these suggestions up of course, but a little work could produce something which could look quite authentic, whilst not necessarily being authentic. The aim being to be light-hearted whilst giving a real insight into the hardships of those times.
7. Pig-Faced Lady
So far as I can recall there was no Pig-Faced Lady at the event last year! However, I wish there had been. In Lancaster a few years ago, I witnessed an event, the likes of which were quite different to anything I've ever witnessed before in the modern age, and left me with a strong impression of originality.
The actors used a small marquee, to put on their act. Leaflets with times of performances were widely distributed. For 50p dozens of people queued up to witness the pig-faced lady. Once inside, the audience was shown two beautiful girls, and the men in the audience are asked who would like to marry their sister? The narrator looks for a show of hands from the single men, and those who wish they were. Laughs all round. They are then offered a maiden all covered in scarves to hide her face. Then they are treated to the story of how this once beautiful young maiden (heavily covered in scarves and medieval costumes) came to be in the state she was now in.
The narrator goes into some gory details; Slowly what covers her face is taken away to reveal a pig-faced masked girl. (maybe get mask from a joke shop?) Narrator asks the audience if there was anyone willing to marry her. "What about you, sir?" Laughter. "Is this your Dad?” Nervous reply from small child. “ Yes? Would you let him marry the pig-faced lady?" Laughter all round.
With good acting this could work very well.
If I had the contacts, which I am sure you have, I'd want to be approaching drama clubs in the area to see if any actors would work on this suggestion.
Search Google for Pig Face Lady
PIG-FACED LADIES:
the tale of the pig-faced lady was a folk story common in Europe during the middle ages. A newly-wed lady of rank and fashion (so the tale goes) annoyed by the pleas of a beggar-woman and her child, exclaimed: "Take away your nasty pig, I shall not give you anything!" to which the beggar-woman cursed her, saying: "May your own child, when it is born, be more of a pig than mine!" And so the lady gave birth to a lovely little daughter afflicted with the face of a pig. This pig-baby thrived and grew, and became a pig-girl and then a pig-woman . . . a lovely dainty lady right up to the neck, you would say, but there her beauties ended; and her manners were in every respect, alas, those of a pig at the trough. No servant would remain in her parents' employ, no fortune-hunter was desperate enough to wed the creature; at last her unhappy family founded a hospital, whose trustees were bound to keep and cherish the pig-faced damsel, and there the poor thing spent the rest of her days.
Pig-faced women were often exhibited by showmen: these were bears, their heads carefully shaven, roped upright in chairs like women, and adorned with shawls and gowns, hats and ringlets and flowers.
8. Wild Man – “Half Beast, Half Man”
Another “actor” event I’ve witnessed involved a couple of people. One a narrator, the other a “Wild Man”. People queue to go into the event. The narrator tells the gathered onlookers they’re about to see a never-before-seen creature from the wildest parts of the modern medieval world. But he’s very frightened, and may bite your hand off. Narrator reaches into darkened part of marquee, there are lots of screams, and growls, people in the crowd look genuinely afraid, egged on the narrators fearsome stories. Eventually the narrator slams the door shut and people never actually get to see this half-man half beast. Needs working on if actors are to pull this off.
