'Royal Revenge' brought to life in Huntingdon
In 1660 Charles II was restored to the throne after 11 years of the country being a Republic ruled by Parliament, then Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector. The young king wanted revenge on a select group of men – those responsible for the death of his father, King Charles I, by trial and execution in 1649.
Now, 375 years later, the Cromwell Museum is staging immersive performances of these tumultuous events, in the atmospheric surroundings of the historic courtrooms in Huntingdon Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday, February 7 and 8 – and already only limited numbers of tickets are left.
Working with members of the Sealed Knot historical re-enactment society, and using original trial records, the Museum has produced an edited and dramatized version of the trial, which will be recreated with all the key figures being played by amateur actors. Six performances will be staged as ticketed shows, held in the atmospheric surroundings of the old courtroom in Huntingdon Town Hall.
Stuart Orme, Curator of the Cromwell Museum says: “We’ve had sell-out shows before recreating the trial of Charles I, and many people asked about what happened to the men who put him on trial – we’re now providing the opportunity for people to find out.
"We expect that these performances will again become an immersive experience, with audiences getting caught up in the drama of the trial – cheering or jeering some of the characters in much the same way as those watching the real court did in 1660.”
The performances of ‘Royal Revenge: The Trial of the Regicides’ take place at 1pm, 3.30pm or 6.30pm on Saturday, February 7, and 10am, 12.30pm and 3pm on Sunday, February 8. Tickets are £15 each (£10 for museum members and full-time students) and can be purchased from the Cromwell Museum or online at www.cromwellmuseum.org.