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nottingham players

Started by wat32, October 26, 2009, 09:46:51 AM

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wat32

Hey everyone, hope everyone is enjoying the faire!
I'm hoping to get there this coming weekend.
How is that new act, nottingham players? Has anyone
seen the show? whats it all about?



Sir Sebastian Phoenix

I haven't seen an entire show but from what we have seen on the Royals parade they are very entertaining. Its a show themed around punishment as they have stocks and other creative inventions.

Ask the good constable if there will be a "drobbing" soon...You'll get a laugh.

Sir Sebastian Phoenix
Baron of the Black Plains
Commander of the Bradwei Eights
Lt in their Majesties Royal Guard

wat32

a drobbing......i'm intrigued, what does that mean?

Sir Sebastian Phoenix

its sort of a water torturing thing...I dont want to give too much away
Sir Sebastian Phoenix
Baron of the Black Plains
Commander of the Bradwei Eights
Lt in their Majesties Royal Guard

RatherUnwieldly

I have the good fortune of being apart of the Nottingham show and I can assure it its well worth seeing. We feature not only the drubbing already mentioned, but numerous other types of as near as possible HA public punishment.
The easiest way of seeing what its 'all about' is just that, come see it! I can guarantee it will be very memorable =]

shirefriar

Quote from: wat32 on October 26, 2009, 09:46:51 AM
How is that new act, nottingham players? Has anyone
seen the show? whats it all about?

This is one of my alltime favorite acts. Carolina really has something great in this troupe-- arguably one of the most creative I've ever seen. When I heard they were going down south I went to see them last weekend. I hadn't been to this faire in 3 years. I loved them so much I stayed through this weekend. They're better than ever. Wildy creative on all levels, their characters and antics will get you laughing. And my God can they sing! They are a commedia dell arte troupe basing their act around a realistic public punishment thing, great characters all around the fair even popping up in other people's shows for comedy effect and their brand of slapstick, which is an awesome trick no one else has done if you think about it. Very realistic portrayals however unlike what most fairs offer now, and use huge amounts of new material each week rather than relying upon age old scripts like so many acts do at fairs.

W/o giving too much away, they've created a really great opening gate number vastly superior to what Carolina has had in years. And later at day's end when the cannon blast goes off they all drop dead from the shot or from fright, not sure which. But it's how they do it- it's been different every time the King told me as he was laughing his butt off watching. I've seen it three times and it's been three different ways. No one does that stuff but them.

Today they actually caught the cannon ball from the blast- it bounced off all the Players heads one at a time until they were all dead. That's just damn inventive. Hat's off to the director of the troupe. Everyone at the fair waits to see what they'll do next.

One of my favorites gags, and this took some guts, was to invade the King and Queens tent and begin a nice song. In a brilliant move Willoby the chicken thief started warbeling the wrong words, about the Queen having a wooden leg of all things! The Queen and King play along wonderfully and order him to be publicly punished, and this leads later to the King and Queen visiting their public punishment set, which in itself is quite amazing, and there he is being punished historically as the story continues. He was doused with pond scum and licked by a goat.

They're absolutely unique in what they do and the Carolina producers were very smart in obtaining them and allowing them the space to do what they do best, which is create new fun and fantastic times for people. Their appearances have uplifted and renewed this fair from what I'm told.

Did you know there is a film in the planning stages about them?

They're all over the faire and do just too much in an 8 hour day to list here so the best thing is to do what someone else said- go buy a ticket and see for yourself. They're worth the price of admission alone. I only wish they were back at the NYRF and much closer.

Malkavian

Quote from: RatherUnwieldly on October 26, 2009, 03:36:08 PM
I have the good fortune of being apart of the Nottingham show and I can assure it its well worth seeing. We feature not only the drubbing already mentioned, but numerous other types of as near as possible HA public punishment.
The easiest way of seeing what its 'all about' is just that, come see it! I can guarantee it will be very memorable =]

Memorable indeed! I only caught one of your shows today but it was great! I noticed you but unfortunately failed to summon the courage to go up and say hi :( next time!

RatherUnwieldly

well there's always next weekend or the next!  :)

wat32

licked by a goat? omg! they don't bite do they?
the goats lick peoples face? yeah i guess that would
be quite the punishment...i'd be running away, lol

Malkavian

Quote from: RatherUnwieldly on November 01, 2009, 09:35:47 PM
well there's always next weekend or the next!  :)

Indeed!  Shall I just wave and yell "hey you"? :P

shirefriar

It probably wouldn't be wise to shout "hey you" to any character as they cannot simply break character and walk over to start chatting to you about your postings or whatever. They're actors and paid to do their show in character at all times. I know that troupe does not break character like so many lesser actors do at fairs today. Everything Nottingham does is quite professional and realistic.

Yes, in their public punishment sets, among other things done, they do have a goat licking torture taken right from the page of history books, quite an affair! They even impressed the King and Queen with it last Sunday. But really that's just a drop in the bucket in consideration of all they do around the entire fair for 8 hours. 

They are absolutely unequaled among other medieval acts as you will see.

Malkavian

Quote from: shirefriar on November 02, 2009, 10:30:30 PM
It probably wouldn't be wise to shout "hey you" to any character as they cannot simply break character and walk over to start chatting to you about your postings or whatever.

(Perhaps I should have used more :P's to emphasis lack of seriousness there) Yes, I'm aware, and I applaud the performers that manage that flawlessly!  I certainly couldn't, especially with the people you're supposed to be interacting with just talking to you about things.

I've always hoped I'd catch a photographer out there working with performers in a way that allowed them to stay IC, probably won't ever happen.




wat32

I still haven't made it to the faire, these goats have me intrigued though...
They lick your face? i'd be scared they would bite, is that the torture?
what else happens to the unlucky people?

RatherUnwieldly

The goats we work with will be licking our feet, which are bound to keep them from moving while we are in the stocks. A good demo of this and the other tortures we display, as well as street routines and songs can be found at http://www.nottinghamplayers.com/intro.htm


wat32

omg!! you can't move your feet at all? doesn't that tickle???
I'm staying away!!! do people go crazy or what?