Performing For The King at Banqueting House

by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)

Event: 19/07/2013 - 01/09/2013

You have arrived at Banqueting House; the year is 1632. King Charles I is sitting on his throne, waiting to be entertained. Are you up for the job?

In the seventeenth century, the customary form of royal entertainment was a masque. Masques were the modern day equivalent of a variety show. There was music, dancing, singing, acting, and all the performers wore masks. Although the stories were set in the Golden Era of mythology, they were actually propaganda plays that showed how the Stuarts brought chaos to order. The Banqueting House in Whitehall is now inviting you to not only witness a performance, but take part in one as well.

Learn all about the playwright, Ben Jonson, and set designer, Inigo Jones, whose collaboration led to magical storytelling. You will gain special insight into one of the most infamous masques, Tempe Restored. The show shocked Puritans because not only was it performed by women, but Queen Henrietta Maria herself.

For the price of £5 admission (£4 concession and free for under 16s) you will get a behind the scenes look at how a masque was put together; meet the characters, dress the part, learn the dance steps, and watch the drama unfold.

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Why? Fun for families

When: Until 1st September

Phone: 0844 482 7777

Website: www.hrp.org.uk

Where: Banqueting House

Cost: £5 adult, £4 concessions, free for under 16s