Is it just me or...

[Trouble with Friends]

...have things really changed since REC owned this show.I havent worked this show for 10-11 seasons, and it is my first season back. Seems alot has changed. I really miss the authenticity of the old show. But  as I understand it, there was some kind of survey, and the people wanted more things like Robin Hood and other out of period/fantasy stuff. I am a little disappointed, as I used to think that this was the show that set the bar, along with the CA shows.And it also seems that hawking is a dying art across the country. As well as audience interaction. From my standpoint, it seems that the street characters are more into interacting with each other than patrons. The fantasy bent has also made it harder to tell a playtron from a participant, thus making it more difficult to interract in general. Just because someone is in costume, it doesn't mean they want to play apparently. And it used to b easier to pick them out. Perhaps I have ben out of the entertainment side for too long. If so just write me off as a codgy old guy.

[Dúnedain]

Im on the other side of this fence. In fact last season I wrote a customer comment imploring the faire to include more fantasy based things. I think that Bristol really stepped up. The addition of RenQuest is awesome, and theyve put alot more focus on thier fairies and barbarians and such.  I love it!  I dont care much for the "authentic-period" type stuff.  The tea with the queen and all the royal hullabaloo is pretty boring to me.  As far as interactions go, they are there.  I see lots of interaction all the time, both with patrons and playtrons.  I know that I, being the latter, love to interact with the street characters. Though I find as a playtron that it is much harder to get the attention of a street performer, cuz they are usually busy with the regular patrons.  Robin Hood, im not so keen on. I dont mind the act, but its hard far me to see him as the character cuz he carries no bow or arrows, and hes not really wearing pants either. 

[xanatos]

I too dislike the fantasy bent at the faires. I don't mind as much if it's just a show here and there. I don't like it when they are a part of the overall storyline. I have seen plenty of interactions between the cast and patrons so that isn't much of a concern to me.

Also, I was under the impression that the change of ownership is mostly cosmetic, with some of the REC owner-group not being a part of the new owner-group.

[Dirtfarmer]

My understanding is that there has been a strong push towards fantasy on purpose.  They even had the queen, at some point in the day last year, in fairies wings, playing it off as she was playing  the queen of the fairies or some nonsense like that.  I'm with "I like historical not fantasy" groups and when you start to mix time periods it gets a bit convoluted for my tastes, but it seems that the average paytron likes this and really does not know the difference.

The old VA cast was trained by the "old guard" of Bristol/REC directors 10 years ago and historical is what they trained...as well as street interaction and the like.  I agree that Bristol, nobles at least, set the bar or are close to the high water mark as far a quality (I've never been to CA fair so I can't speak about them).  Guilde of St. George VA that does the court for NCRF is based off of their training as well as the few of us that are still around at the new VA faire. I get the opportunity to work with the Bristol nobles when I can slip out there every couple of years, and there is still alot of quality in their group... but yea, that area around the duck that use to be where the revelers would cover, is now filled with sprites and wood'fairies or some other mystical foo foo that is just not my taste.... but that is just my taste and if other people like the mystical foo foo that is fine too... I just hope they don't completely erode away the historical completely.. it is a "Renaissance Faire" afterall. 

[Dúnedain]

I think they should go the other way.  My girlfriend and I think there needs to be an Elven Enclave tucked back somewhere.  It could even be part of RenQuest the way the gypsies are now.  A little magical area filled elves, set up similarly to the way they have the noble area. Only it would be alot better cuz there will be less frillyness and ruffles.

[Whistler Fred]

I've been on the cast at Bristol for at least part of the past four summers.  We are trained in patron interaction (some of my favorite "bits" involve playing up my tipsy peasant routine and working patrons into it) and encouraged to avoid entertaining each other rather than our audiences. Also, the cast members need to dress in a more authentic 16th Century manner and, with the exception of the Fantasticals, would not be in fantasy garb.

There was an earlier thread on this board discussing historical vs. fantasy at Renaissance Faires.  The consensus favored faires that combined both, and I think that's the route Bristol has gone.  The history is there, such as in the Guilds of St. Lawrence, St. Michaels and St. George.  But there's also the Faire Folk, Robin Hood and RenQuest for those who favor fantasy.

My own feelings are mixed.  I like a certain amount of fantasy, but perfer it to be within the context of the era.  I like Bristol's Fantasticals (both as a concept and because the performers who play them are awesome) and find that it works in the context of something the "common folk" would believe in.  I like what the fight cast has done with the Robin Hood theme, even though the character is admittedly a few centuries removed from Elizabethan times.  RenQuest is a bit too computer-game fantasy for my tastes, but it is getting patrons involved who might otherwise be content to watch from a safe distance, and I'm all for that.

Still, I'd like to see a faire that dwells more on authentic history of the 16th Century, for, if done correctly, they can be just as interesting and fun as any fantasy faire.  And I freely admit that I love the sound of period instruments!

[groomporter]

...have things really changed since REC owned this show.

Strictly speaking I thought it hadn't been REC for a couple years? I thought one faction bought or forced the other out and it's now REP  "Renaissance Entertainment Productions"

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I may be old fashioned when it comes to Bristol or any faire that recreates the Elizabethan period in dress, speech, etc.  Deviating from the the intitial purpose of a period  setting reduces the experience as one of learning as well as fun.

The fantasy part is the joy of dressing up, taking on a  persona from another time. Interacting with cast,  crew, and merchant  is what makes attending a faire memorable for me.

I speak for myself. Just my 2 cents worth here.

[Trouble with Friends]

Okay, so when you have a shop that is all barbarians, is that fitting in with the time? I understand many merchants are required to dress at least close to late 16th century, but barbarians? Come on...one weekend we had cast members in Military uniforms. I know they were cast because it was before opening, and they were at cast call...

Just for example..they have three witches wandering the site that to me seem more involved in their own banter than what is going on around them. Again this is from my narrow viewpoint of the shop I work at.

I wouldn't mind it so much if the fantasy aspect was confined to fantasy-land much like the kids stuff is mainly in kids-kingdom. But again, its patrons that pay the bills, and we have to provide them what they want to make money.

The other thing is the use of dialect. Our shop was actually complimented as one of the FEW who actually used dialect, and had no costuming issues. Like I said, standards seem to have fallen.

[groomporter]

Come on...one weekend we had cast members in Military uniforms. I know they were cast because it was before opening, and they were at cast call...

If that was July 12 Bristol was having a Reenactor Fest Day to promote Reenactorfest a multi-era reenactors' convention that has been happening in Chicago the last three years http://reenactorfest.com A couple different groups from Bristol have been doing presentations at that event. So there were probably a number of people representing different eras that day.

The main two guys who organize the event are WWII reenactors. Although Mike is a bit of clothes horse and I think he can do several eras, he was wearing a Napoleon era uniform (ala Sharpes' Rifles) part of of the time at the last Reenactorfest.

[Dúnedain]

You do realize that Bristol's slogan is "Where Fantasy Rules!"

[Dirtfarmer]

Yes, I do think that most people  know that is their slogan.. but that was not their slogan 10 years ago and this thread was brought into being by someone noting the difference between 10 years ago and what is current.  Did you also notice that BRF stands for and is "The Bristol Renaissance Faire" with renaissance being the operative word.  Maybe one day they will have the Bristol Dungeons and Dragons Faire, but for now, thank God, it is still a renaissance faire.

Here is my issue with using a Robin Hood type story... it is really just the lowest common denominator.. it is old, played out, and has no originality.  How many times can this be played out and this can go for the 100 other fictional stories of the time.  It does allow for kids to understand (which is probably why it is done) and for bubba davis how comes to faire to see swords and tight bodices and have 15 beers and a turkey leg and does not want to put any thought into it.  The English renaissance was one of the biggest soap opera's in history and there are so many real stories that could be played out... even to a simple "hack" level so everyone can understand and follow along.... but for the fantasy people, unfortunately, this would mean that Legolas could not play the Earl of Essex and that Gimli would not be Sir Walter Raleigh.

Also, as far as ownership, it was also my understanding that much of the old REC high ups are also the same as REP, but I don't know this for sure, and really don't plan to research this anytime soon.  It might have been a way to shed the REC label because there were alot of people who bashed REC on a daily basis.

As far as the dialect in shops and the like, as trouble commented on, I think it has fallen off not only at Bristol but around the entire faire world.  There are still plenty that get into it and try to play a part, but there are just as many who don't care and don't try.  This was not the way I remembered it from 18 years ago when I first started going to faires, but there are times when I am jaded and don't try as hard as I use to either... something that I need to make improvement on myself.

[Dúnedain]

Personally I can barely stay awake through any of the "events" that happen in the Noble area.  Im just not sure why watching someone drink tea is fun.  At least Robin Hood has some action and comedy in it.  Not to mention that it fits within the setting of the faire, being that it is in a small village in the forest.  Robin Hood is the cartoon show of the faire, its not meant to be historically accurate.  They have great songs and antics, they can really pump up the crowd and get them to participate. 

[Carl Heinz]

Hope no one minds if I butt in.

I'll start by saying that I've never had the opportunity to visit Bristol.  My home faire is the REC/REP Southern California event so I do think there's a relationship.

The 2006 and 2007 RPFS entertainment directors were from Bristol as wrea lot of the other staff and I think that their impact gives me some understanding of Bristol.

RPFS enjoys a large cadre of largely unpaid participants organized into guilds and troupes.  I've been a member of the Guild of St Cuthbert somewhat longer than it's been owned by the folks at REC/REP.  (Not sure of the length, but safe to say over 25 years as a playtron, boothie and guild member.)

So, I've seen the evolution from a strongly oriented historical event focused on England during the reign of Elizabeth I to an event which largely maintains the historical base but with adjustments to meet the needs of our visitors.  The same quality crafts are there, but there is now a somewhat enlarged traders market which sells somewhat period mass market wares.  And, we do have two fairies who are cast members.  However, these two ladies are long time participants and their focus is visitor interaction.

The shows are now somewhat less than period, but, again, are intended to meet the desires of our audience.

I can no longer walk about and participate in parades and have to use a mobility scooter.  However, the scooter has a faux fur horse head, butt, and barding.  I spend quite a bit of time intereacting with children, ladies who want to flirt with the horsie (beware of the special attirbutes of a hobby horse as they relate the the fertility of the ladies), and with disabled patrons.

So, would I like to see a greater emphasis on historical accuracy.  You betcha.  But, we need to keep in mind that we aren't just playing for ourselves.  We need to adjust to the desires of our audience.  Without them, the faires would close and we'd have nowhere to to play other than with strongly focused reenactment groups.  I have a lot of friends who do faire and are also in the SCA.  But I don't think I'd enjoy the structure of the SCA.

[Vartha]

  Well I've been both sides of the fence as well, Although I was working for Oh Susanna's Leather, Wax Hands, and Tails upon Tails.
  As a Playtron I originally enjoyed the different "Sections" of Bristol and King Richard's. I remember the different countries portrayed in the different areas.
  I LOVED the Hobbity Hole. It was like alittle bit of fantasy or Myth within realism.

  I personally would have loved to seen a corner of the faire set aside for the MYTH of the period and the rest period settings. kind of like walking into a dream.

[Will Gamwell]

As for myself, I do enjoy the historically accurate.  But as far as participating in a Renaissance Faire, I can't complain when a good majority of the fantasy characters can make paytrons laugh, or light up a child's face.

I think a good portion of the population is more entertained with seeing fantasy come to life than having history recreated.  Just look at movies!! (not that hollywood has ever produced a true H/A movie!!)  More often than not, a fantasy movie will top the box office rather than a historical movie.