Voyages (1) • Kingston Lacy, Wimborne - Wimborne Community Theatre

Voyages (1) • Kingston Lacy, Wimborne (1991)

It is 1907. At Kingston Lacy, near Wimborne, everyone is busy preparing for King Edward VI’s visit. Young Viola Bankes (born at Kingston Lacy in 1900) searches frantically for her favourite nursery maid, Alice Maud Baker, to brush her hair but no-one will tell her where she is.

After fluffing her curtsey to the King, Viola is made fun of and she runs away into the gardens, where she discovers Alice who takes her on a mysterious journey around the grounds to meet mediaeval villagers who lived in the area, as well as the Iron Age Veneti tribe from Armorica (present day Brittany) meeting the indigenous Celts, the Durotriges, in the landscape around Kingston Lacy in about 45 AD.

Poster for Voyages (1) • Kingston Lacy, Wimborne

About the production

The project was made possible through a partnership with the National Trust, specifically with the encouragement and support of Barbara Webber, Education Officer, and Howard Webber, House Manager.

One hundred and fifty children and adults were involved. Work began with visits to schools by David Smith, National Trust Head Warden, and Gladys Dukes, a former under-housemaid at Kingston Lacy in the ‘twenties, and trips to Badbury Rings and the Iron Age House at Cranborne. Lalage Hall, daughter of Viola Bankes, also helped with research for the production.

To find out more, click the links below:

Stories: Researching stories

Original Songs: From Voyages 1 & 2

Legends: Created by First School children

Costumes

Watch a short video about the development of Voyages, 1991

Most of the questions were about what sort of cars they had. The children couldn’t believe me when I said they had none until 1920. And they couldn’t understand it when I told them we were on call 12 hours a day and we obeyed orders without question.

Gladys Dukes

It’s wonderful to know that Kingston Lacy is being used like this.

Lalage Hall, daughter of Viola Bankes, born at Kingston Lacy in 1900

So excited by the environmental art and the wonderful mix of drama and storytelling. I found myself becoming more deeply immersed in the action the further we went from the house. . . it also reminded me how powerful local legends and family history can be when they are reconstructed in situ.

Tim Laycock, Storyteller

Video

Video: The Launch of Voyages and of WCT (1991) – Members of the Community Group perform a short scene and the project is introduced in speeches from Alan Wilson, Director of East Dorset Heritage Trust, Barbara Webber and David Smith from the National Trust and Tony and Gill Horitz from WCT.

Video: Voyages (1991) – the complete play followed by the exhibition of work by Colehill and Pamphill First Schools

Short documentary about the making of Voyages (1991) with commentary from Gill Horitz, outlining the research and process involved, illustrated by extracts from the play.

Video: 1991 Production: Process and preparation work, with children from Colehill First School and Queen Elizabeth’s School working on the Veneti scene in school and on site at Kingston Lacy. Pupils from Pamphill First School tour the house and grounds at Kingston Lacy with environmental artist, Julian Davies, and work on the environmental sculptures.