Castle Rushen Unlocked/Labyrinth

[curiouswombat]

I said I would see if there were any official Labyrinth pictures. I did find one of some of the cast but it wasn't terribly good, however I now have some of D-d's own photos of the whole Castle Rushen Unlocked experience which Labyrinth was part of.

So, there are quite a few pictures

There was quite a village set up in the inner bailey and the area of the original moat. There was an area housing Vikings, and another housing Civil War period re-enacters, which the public could walk through. As one of those taking part in the production inside the castle, D-d got an interesting view of these events, during her breaks, from the towers and battlements.

So firstly the view of the outer parts of Castle Rushen Unlocked -

Viking period re-enacters -












And signs of the Civil War period -



(There were a couple of odd views with Civil War period people mingling with the crowds - but I really like that picture!)

Mostly what was happening inside was not even easy for other participants to take pictures of as they were doing their own thing.

But this young lady was one we, the travelling audience, met a few times as we went from area to area - caught here by D-d as she visited their part of the castle -



Although, eventually, her habit of gossiping with the passers by about events within the castle clearly earned her a period of punishment...



Most of the historic scenes were done by people in very simple costume, to give more of an idea than photographic historical accuracy, and many of the cast did a rapid costume change or two and dashed, using the staircases not in use at that time by 'the audience', from scene to scene.

This young woman, her in her main role as The Story Teller we met at the end of our tour, was also, with a very different cloak to cover her beautiful dress, and an old fashioned sunbonnet covering most of her hair, part of an encounter we had on the battlements.



And people from a couple of other scenes dashed from their first rooms to the large central hall for the party scene that D-d had a speaking role in.

This scene highlighted the way in which the Stanleys, as Lords of Mann, literally partied on as the Royalist 'ship sank' - Lady Stanley hosted a masked ball for Twelfth Night in 1651. Instead of trying to costume everyone for this, it was done in the style of a modern day party - short frocks and glorious masks, loud music, disco lights, silly games - the impression of a lot of people drinking a little too much and partying a little too hard...

Here is D-d and one of the others, taken at their dress rehearsal -



Behind the scenes were unseen rooms - where the cast got a chance to eat their packed lunches...



(That is another of my favourites!)

And as the audience had to then return through the 'party area' on their way between two later scenes, they decided to leave the lights low, and all lie around exactly like that point in a party where the last few people have flopped out on the floor or the furniture.

Here is D-d, again at the dress rehearsal, practising her drunken stupor...



At one of the later performances, at this point a voice could be heard from one of the audience saying "Typical 'D-d'..." - a friend, of course, only for another voice from the end of the group to say "All right for you - you're not related to her...!" - there was also a cousin in the group.

D-d said it was very hard for her, and doubtless the others, to remain 'unconscious' at that point!


The group that came together to perform enjoyed it so much that they are now trying to work out what else they can do at this, or one of the other, National Heritage sites.

Comments

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Well - she had good drunken stupor genes to build on, put it that way!