Ahead of its tenth anniversary season, 95% of last year’s volunteers have returned for Kynren – An Epic Tale of England’s 2025 season, which will run every Saturday from 19th July until 13th September.
Whether performing on stage, crafting intricate props and costumes, getting involved with technical support, caring for animals, or welcoming visitors, Kynren’s dedicated team of volunteers are getting ready for another summer of spellbinding performances.
The show’s rehearsals are already underway in preparation for the milestone year, as Kynren’s volunteers came together for the first rehearsal earlier this month. The show team practiced their intricate dance moves, Young Arthur honed his football skills and the combat team picked up their swords and shields to revisit the complex skills needed to bring battle scenes to life.
Wendy Wilshere, head of volunteer casting and engagement at Kynren believes that the strong volunteer community is one of the reasons why the show sees so many return each year.
Wendy said:
The way that all the volunteers come together to support each other, share words of encouragement and build close knit friendships in their different teams is something very special here. Everyone takes something positive away with them after being involved in the show.
Kynren is without a doubt one of the most amazing productions I’ve ever been involved in, and the dedication of our volunteers doesn’t go unnoticed. You can see during each rehearsal and team meeting that everyone is so pleased to be a part of this incredible show.
To acknowledge the volunteers’ commitment, Kynren hosted a winter ball in January – a first for the County Durham production.
Anna Warnecke, CEO at Kynren said:
Our winter ball was a wonderful evening dedicated to our incredible volunteers who make Kynren possible. It provided us all with a great opportunity to reflect on everything we accomplished in 2024 and to look ahead to the exciting plans for 2025 and beyond.
A party was also held last month for last season’s younger volunteers, where they were treated to a fun afternoon at a local trampoline park and activity centre.
Following the volunteer open calls which were held every month from October to March, where prospective volunteers discovered all the opportunities available at Kynren and learned about each role, over 100 new volunteers have also signed up for 2025.
Everything at Kynren is on an immense scale to bring to life ‘the story of us’ and take audiences on a breathtaking journey through 2,000 years of iconic English history, myth and legend. It is performed by a thousand-strong volunteer cast and crew on a seven-and-a-half acre stage (the scale of five football pitches) in front of an 8,000-seater tribune in the heart of Bishop Auckland.
Not forgetting its memorable menagerie of 150 animals including mighty horses, a mother and daughter donkey duo, sheep and even a gaggle of geese who steal the show with their unforgettable scenes.
See www.kynren.com
