“The Colchester Centenary Historical Spectacular 2009”

Regretfully, we have had to cancel the Centenary pageant, because we were not able to get sufficient funding,

It is hoped that we will be able to do it in either 2010 or 2012.

Please contact me for any information you may want.

We will leave the basic information on the site for your reference.

One hundred years ago, in 1909 a huge historical pageant was performed in Castle Park, Colchester. Directed by the famous national pageant-master Louis ‘Napoleon’ Parker, over 2000 local people took part and was witnessed by over 60,000 people.
The local studies library and the Essex Record office contain all the scripts, the photographs, the music and the personal reminiscences of those taking part. It has been a valuable resource for historians and scholars for a hundred years.

Now, that same hundred years later, we are going to do it again! – this time with a newly researched script, projections, and spectacular effects, the biggest firework finale ever, and some wonderful original music using the brightest and best of the Colchester talent.

click here for the DRAFT script ( NB Copyright is asserted by Illuminati et al: please feel free to comment by email)

This will be a production that will be remembered for a very long time, certainly the largest, most ambitious public outdoor show ever seen in the town since 1909. The photographs, scripts and all the plans will be placed in the public record office alongside the originals. It is hoped that when the production is done again in 2109 the records will be as eagerly consulted, as have been the 1909 records.

Set in the natural amphitheatre in Castle Park, Colchester, it tells of the histories, the amazing stories and vicissitudes of Colchester from the earliest times to the present day.

Very suitable for a family audience, it will be performed for two nights in September 2009.

We will be holding public auditions, 'X Factor' style for singers, dancers and actors at Liquid Nightclub: (date to be announced). email to register an early interest. We will be forming a new 30 piece band/orchestra, a new choir and a dance troup to do a wide variety of styles.

This will be a spectacular, high budget production backed by some of the most experienced producers in the country.

There will be related events in the Town Centre with a street festival with historical entertainers, including mediaeval musicians, Victorian Showmen, a traditional Edwardian Fair and so on. Georgian and Tudor dancrs and so on and if possible a recreation of the Great Cloth Fair of 1142 outside the Castle.

In addition to the great Historical Pageant, the huge stage, the biggest ever seen in the town,will be used for other events which will subsidise the low cost of the tickets

YOU CAN BE INVOLVED! WE NEED YOU!

There are dozens of jobs which need doing, both on stage and off, ranging from handling cash to looking after the environment, organising transport, handling artistes and musicians, or working alongside some wonderful professionals backstage. We need multimedia and video specialists, graphic artists, puppeteers and visual artists - amateur or professional! . If you think you can, you are welcome to take some responsibility for a whole sector - or work as a part of a dream team. It doesnt matter if you have little or no experience - we will all learn together and have the wonderful satisfaction of a job well done, a warm glow of achievement and be greatly appreciated and valued. Unfortuantely we cannot pay you a personal fee, apart from agreed costs as this is a community effort

Click here to download a file with descriptions of some of the jobs, or click on the individual links opposite, ( in course of arrangement,)

or here to down load some of the on-stage roles available ( file available soon)

contact us by email here

The story is narrated by “The Watcher” an Everyman who bestrides history, time and space to tell our story. He is joined by “The Character” who has comedy monologues in a Stanley Holloway style. There are several sketches and playlets which tell the story in a humourous style. Three large scale set piece will be included: The triumphal entry of Claudius, the Civil War and a soundscape and multimedia representation of the St Botolphs air raid. Set in the natural amphitheatre in Castle Park, Colchester it tells of the histories and vicissitudes of Colchester Town and its castle from the earliest times to the present day. Very suitable for a family audience, It will be for two nights in August 2009

The stage will be used additionally for a free childrens’ event on the Saturday afternoon, during which time a large parade will be held in the High Street. On Sunday Morning an international ecumenical church service will be held and Colchester rededicated for the next hundred years.

THE PRODUCTION:
A huge stage will be provided, backed by a giant screen on which multimedia image work will complement the original music, dance, theatre and sheer spectacle of the live performance . Some comfortable covered stand seating will be provided for our special guests as well as plenty of space for people to sit on the hillside, or to use picnic rugs and chairs, We anticipate an family audience of at least 4000 people per night, and expect substantial media coverage, including, hopefully some TV coverage

THE ORGANISATION
This will be a new organization, to be known as “The Overground” a group set up specifically to enable this community project. It is a partnership association, operating in a similar manner to a social enterprise company, and will involve many different groups, businesses and professional arts providers. It will comprise a chairperson, an executive director, a treasurer to hold the bank accounts and a board of not less than six experienced people. The governing document is a constitution which sets out aims and objectives, rules, auditing procedures etc. It is proposed to approach businesses for both core funding and guarantees. The bulk of the cost however will be in the form of grant aid.