Step back in time this May Bank Holiday as Ludlow Castle once again welcomes the flamboyant court of Henry VIII – with a twist! ‘Crowned Date’, a hilarious and historically rich live show from Past Times Living History, promises family fun, dramatic storytelling, and a royal dating game like no other. With their signature blend of education and entertainment, the team brings the Tudor era vividly to life.
We caught up with Elizabeth ‘Elle’ MacPherson, founder of Past Times Living History, to find out more about her love for Ludlow, the enduring fascination with Henry and his court, and why Thomas Cromwell might just be the unsung hero of ancestry tracking…
This is your third time bringing the Tudors to life at Ludlow Castle. How has your relationship with this historic site evolved over the years?
It has, giving us insight into what the Team and Visitors like to see! Getting to know the fantastic team who make Ludlow Castle what it is has been an honour. When we come back, everyone is warm and welcoming and quickly make us feel part of this dream team! We have met so many fascinating people during our time at Ludlow and see familiar faces, the regular visitors who come back year after year.
Ludlow Castle is quite magical, it has such a special feel, and we love exploring all the nooks and crannies engaging with the visitors along the way. They make us feel like VIP’s and I hope that when they leave us, we have made them feel like royalty!
Henry VIII is back on the market – what makes him such a compelling (and outrageous!) character to portray again and again?
Henry VIII was and is a caricature, the archetypal larger-than-life cartoon villain! Who doesn’t like to play a villain? His early life and early years of his reign are largely of little interest to Tudor history lovers because he was a King going about his Kingly duties, and in large part it is all pretty undramatic. It was his serial marital adventures that really get people interested.
Had he and Katherine had their male heir(s), there is little doubt he would have been just another Henry in a long line of Kings with the same name. But that didn’t happen, so he becomes interesting to us for all the wrong reasons, and we remain utterly fascinated by him and those in his orbit.
However, it must be said, that in recent times, Henry is being outshone as interest in his long-suffering wives and daughters gain momentum!
What does it take to keep historical storytelling accessible for children while still engaging adults?
Whenever I start penning a new show the very first thing has to be the historical facts – that way I know we are fulfilling our mission of education by stealth!
The next stage is deciding how the character will be portrayed to make them engaging and relevant to the audience. It’s then all about how to wrap their already well-known stories in an entertaining, fun and engaging brightly coloured wrapper!
The trick is to keep everything simple; the history is already so fascinating! But by adding in contemporary, relatable references with bits of silliness the young and old will enjoy our performances. It is a fine balance of layering nuanced references that only the grown-ups will appreciate, without leaving questions for the little ones. I think anyone who has seen us perform will appreciate the complex recipe and they always leave us having learned something new.
If one of Henry’s wives had to take over the throne as Queen Regnant (instead of Elizabeth I), who do you think would have done the best job?
It would have to be close call between Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Parr. Katherine of Aragon was a true blue-blooded royal from an ancient line of Monarchs – she had all the credentials and had inherited grit, determination and leadership skills from both her parents.
Katherine Parr was for my money the smartest of the Six – she had been well educated (rare for girls at the time) and knew well she had 2 ears and one mouth! She listened and learned and was able to debate high profile subjects and play devils advocate with Henry. She had all his advisers fearing for their jobs as she was so much better at handling Henry than any of them were…
Both Queens had briefly served as Regent in Henry’s absence, and both probably made a better job of it than he had!
Thomas Cromwell is such a complex and controversial figure. With his recent portrayal in the Wolf Hall series, it seems that his role in enabling Henry VIII’s decisions is still striking a chord with modern audiences. What do you think we can learn from Cromwell today, and why does he continue to resonate with people now?
The fundamental attraction of Thomas Cromwell is his meteoric rise from literally nothing to being one of the most influential men at the very epicentre of what was then one of the most powerful European courts. A poor boy who made good! Living proof that with hard work and determination you could achieve anything.
We now understand what an incredible individual he was, intelligent, diplomatic, discrete and generous, he was very much a people person.
Until Hilary Mantel (and others) gave us the balanced Cromwell, he was always considered to be a thug in a doublet, but we know from his letters and reputation that he was not the bad guy that history has unfairly portrayed him to be for so long. One interesting snippet our TC likes to tell visitors is that no-one would be able to trace their ancestry so far back without him having introduced the register of births, marriages & deaths… Thank you Crum!
What’s one Tudor myth you’d love to banish forever?
There are so many… Anne Boleyn’s 6th finger, Henry calling Anne of Cleves “the Flanders Mare”, Katherine Parr being Henry’s nursemaid, and Elizabeth I being a boy! Probably one of the most irritating myths is that The Tudors smelt because they didn’t wash! In fact, Henry VIII had hot and cold running water installed in some of his palaces… it would be a shame not to take advantage of it, don’t you think?
Join Elle and the Past Times Living History team on Sunday 25th and Monday 26th May for a right royal adventure that brings the past to life in the most entertaining way possible. Find out more about this and our Half Term trail which follows the footsteps of Prince Arthur – on our Events Page.
Book your tickets to visit Ludlow Castle and prepare to meet the Tudors!