what we do & why we do it
Whats New for 2026!
It’s been a rocky time for everyone, including those of us who work in the Heritage Industry, but every cloud has a silver lining, and we have already had a number of exciting events from new clients, with the hope of more work in the future!
In February we had a number of events on, all very different in nature, but lots of fun and highlighting how we benefit from having a core of dedicated and talented performers we can call on to create brilliant characters and fantastic experiences.
On the 6th we were at the National Archives for an evening event celebrating their latest exhibition on Love Letters. Under the guiding influence of our host, Aphrodite, we presented a number of the characters whose letters feature in the exhibition. An expert from the NA gave a brief description of the person and their lives and then our performer read their love letter! But then our performers mingled with the guests for a ‘speed date’ where the guests had to choose whether they would ‘swipe left or swipe right’! By the end of the evening Mr. Ramsey MacDonald emerged victorious, but all of our characters put up a strong case for themselves! It was a lovely evening.
On the 14th Simon found himself in the Great Hall of the Palace of Westminster for a family fun day as a witness to the trial of the Gunpowder Plotters (1606) and the trial of King Charles Ist (1649). Luckily he is now of an age where that would be historically plausible! Throughout the day he talked to people about the history of the Great Hall and the incredible historical events that had taken place there. Visitors were made aware of how they were standing on the ‘very spot’ where trials happened, people faced their judgement, and history was made.
For February Half-Term we were spoilt for choice. Kathy was off to Dover Castle to work with our friends and regular collaborators at History Riot, for a “Mystery at the Tower” family event. TWT regular and stalwart, Kieran, was at Lincoln Castle returning to a role he has created as a Victorian newspaper Hack, encouraging visitors to create their own versions of stories connected to Lincoln Victorian Prison. He did a brilliant job of inspiring young visitors to write and illustrate their own Penny Dreadful tales of mystery, murder and mayhem! Finally we had a team at Fort Nelson, facilitating another Whodunnit style event set in WW2. A safe has been opened and vital documents stolen. But by whom, and why? Each of our suspects had an alibi, but it was for the visitors to work out which of them was actually the spy! Again another inspiring and fun event which drew in an inspired and appreciative audience!
Many of you will know that Kathy’s alter ego, Ms. Crocombe, left Audley End with her head held high and has found new employment! She is now Mrs. Wilding at the Food Museum in Stowmarket, dispensing her usual wit and wisdom and some very fine recipes online on their website much to the delight of her fans! The series has just started and is already gathering a following, so if you regard yourself as a “Crocombite” this is the place to get your cooking fix!
In March we were back on equally familiar ground – a new piece of street theatre with three performers,
Kathy, Simon and TWT regular S-J performing a 40 minute promenade play about the Roman history of Durolitum – the area around Epping, for the Epping Forest District Museum to publicise their new Roman exhibition. The weather gods favoured us and we traversed the High Street from Museum to Market to Abbey and back to the Museum again, taking our audience on a journey through time from the arrival of the Romans, the settlement of Britannia, the changes that happened under Roman rule and then the end! Lots of interaction, crowd wrangling, gossiping and voting! It was a reminder to us of where we started – three performers telling a story drawn from real historical events but with our special TWT touch to make it accessible and fun for all!
Kathy has been moonlighting from TWT and working as a Learning and Engagement Officer for King’s Lynn Borough Council. She created, supervised, run and performed in a two week School’s Shakespeare Festival along with local artists, and a small contribution from Simon). Kathy has co-ordinated 1000’s of schoolchildren participating in activities themed around the play of Macbeth. It has been a great success with schools already asking if the team could go back and do more!
Simon has also been developing a new character for schools. Edmund Scarfoot, a Saxon Bard, complete with recitals in Old English and his own take on the Beowulf story and a map to explain the history of Anglo Saxon Britain! It’s had its first outing and so far so good!
In April Kathy will be exchanging one kitchen for another. She’ll be installed in the newly opened kitchens at Alnwick Castle looking at how the kitchens were used at different times in the castle’s rich history. Prepare yourselves for cross-dressing, new recipes, banter and naturally a little judgemental side-eye! All the ingredients for an excellent new event!
Kathy will also be reunited with longtime collaborators Raphael Historic Falconry at Chiltern Open Air Museum for one of their fabulous displays of birds of prey being shown and flown. She’ll be working with RHF at a couple of other venues, check out their website or ours for details!
Kathy will also be showing off her storytelling chops at Glastonbury Medieval Fayre on the 25th/26th, where, reunited with S-J, “ Kate the Chronicleress” will be telling tales of love, strange creatures, even stranger happenings and all manner of other things that delighted the medieval mind for family visitors!
In May we will be returning to Lincoln Castle for the early Bank Holiday as a part of the castle’s contribution to the Lincoln History Festival! Our characters will be populating the Victorian prison where you will be able to discover, in the company of our Victorian Historian, the exciting story of a newly arrived document, or join our Lady archeologist to find out about the objects in the Castle’s museum, or learn about sanitation and the problems encountered when the prison was built from our Engineer, or join our troupe of actors as they try to create a dramatic portrait of the history of the castle! We look forward to seeing some friends and familiar faces!
On the 18th we have one of those delightful “One-Off” events that are always such fun to research and put together! TWT will be at Leeds Castle, where they will present Errol Flynn and Noel Coward, who have been invited by Lady Baillie to a Garden Party in the late 1930’s at what is generally regarded to be one of the finest country houses of its day, under Lady Baillie’s careful custodianship! Doubtless they will not be able to resist the temptation to encourage the other party guests to misbehave! This is a private event, but TWT is quite at home in the Corporate world and this one sounds like it will be really fun!
And suddenly it’s June!
Our “Family Reunion” with Hands on History at Hedingham Castle, participating in a week long schools event set in medieval England and exploring castle life. We’ve lost count of the years that we have participated in this event, but somehow it always feels like we are coming ‘home’! To work with a group of friends who are also talented historical interpreters on a well organised project bringing history to life for students in a beautiful setting – it just doesn’t get any better. Although this event is not open to the public it does inspire students to develop a passion for the past!
We start July on the weekend of the 4/5th with a welcome return to Fort Nelson for a multi-Period event, covering history from the Romans to WW2. This year we are providing the MC, a commentator for a fantastic Dog Show and a new piece looking at how the military have provided food for their soldiers through the ages, in our version of that TV classic which we are renaming “Masterchef?”. It’ll look at how fighting men’s food has been provided, prepared and received over the centuries as our host asks our military men to show off their Star Recipe!
The same weekend we will be regailing the cowboys and cowgirls of the “Country on the Common” event on Tooting Common with tales of the Old West. We did this last year and thrilled visitors with tales of outlaws, showmen and cowboys and told the true stories behind some of the great myths of the Wild West with the lives of Wild Bill Hickok, Jesse James, the Dalton Brothers and other notorious figures!
On July 12th we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence at the National Archives by introducing visitors to three characters looking at the momentous events of the American Revolution from the British perspective to back up a new exhibition of related original documents.
On July 18/19th the Festival of the Punjab takes place in Thetford and we are facilitating two school groups to create an original piece of theatre, to be performed as part of the festival on a theme we are excited to return to – that of the lives of the Duleep Singh family, Their fascinating story, stretching from opulent palaces in the Punjab to life in a fine English Country House at Elvedon, to another royal palace – Hampton Court is a fascinating slice of a number of turning points in history and a family dealing with upheaval, loss, new roles and changing circumstances in a changing world.
For the summer holidays we are returning to both Lincoln and Alnwick Castle, although we suspect these will be outshone by a return to Buckingham Palace again this year – and for two different events! One looking at Gardens in Literature and another featuring the statues inside the the palace itself.
The month of September is traditionally filled with Open Heritage Days and so we will be returning to Coventry City Centre and reflecting on the events there during WWII.
We are hopeful that we can share some Halloween news and those of the man in red for much later in the year, so please do keep an eye on our socials and our diary page!
