Sold out crowd enjoys huge opening night of Kynren

On Saturday night, the audience took their seats in the 8,000-seater tribune and were transported through 2,000 years of English history, visiting the Romans, Vikings, Norman Conquest, the bloody outcome of England’s Civil War, the Industrial Revolution and more. 

The 1,000-strong volunteer cast and crew performed the live action outdoor theatre spectacular on the seven-and-a-half acre stage, featuring magnificent sets, mass choreography, combat, stunts, horsemanship, stunning pyrotechnics and amazing special effects. 

Bethaney Shears, a volunteer at Kynren said: “Our first public performance was an incredible experience and the audience loved it. 

"The adrenaline you feel when you get up on stage to perform is indescribable and to do this alongside other volunteers that are now my friends was a wonderful feeling. 

"I’ll never forget the cheers and standing ovation we received on Saturday.” 

Kynren’s 150 animals, including performance horses, donkeys, geese and cows, also rose to the challenge after months of training and wowed the crowd with their starring roles. 

Cosmo, Kynren’s newest recruit for 2024, took centre stage during his debut to the public on Saturday. The grey shire horse could be spotted in the epic Viking Invasion scene, where a Fisherwoman is stolen from the village by marauding Vikings. 

The animals also had an important role to play in Kynren’s new pre-show entertainment experience called Return of the Vikings, alongside volunteers who demonstrated what life was really like in a 9th century Viking settlement. 

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In this authentic recreation of a Viking Village which is on the brink of a raid, audiences experienced a working blacksmith’s forge where chainmail is created by hand and sparks fly in the process, peeked inside the 9th century cottages and cookhouse and wandered through the vegetable patch.

Anna Warnecke, CEO of Kynren, said: “It was lovely to see our visitors enjoying the Viking Village on Saturday – our volunteers had so much fun in their Viking roles, engaging with the public to make this such a memorable experience before the show.“

However the highlight of the evening for me was the firework finale, as our wonderful cast took to the stage one final time for the evening. The night sky was illuminated by the fireworks, the crowd were on their feet cheering, and I could see how much that performancemeant to our volunteers.

“After months of training and dedication, they gave our audience a phenomenal show to enjoy, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

The 90-minute live action night show in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, starts at sunset and ends in starlight and will be taking place every Saturday night until 14th September.

Words: Raoul Dixon, North News and Pictures