Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 26
life
INTERVIEW
LIVING
HISTORY
Each summer a 17th
century re-enactment
group come and pitch their
cloth tents and live in the
grounds of Arreton for a
week in June and again in
August. The Church State
Household Group, a group
of thespians, play out a plot
which runs the length of
their stay. Visitors may drop
in and may be induced into
taking part. The ticket price
includes as many returns
to the grounds as it takes
to see the plot through.
Although there is a plot,
the dialogue is entirely
ad-libbed, made up on
the hoof in response to
whatever questions their
21st century visitors may
throw at them. One man,
who found it hard to step
out of character and
who gave his name as
Penance Before the Lord,
described the buzz he
gets from it. “Most of the
day we are like rabbits in
headlights, hoping a real
historian doesn’t turn up!”
Ginny, a buxom whore,
is played by Suzanne
Carr, and she finds her
role causes her to draw
on all her ingenuity. “A
school group wanted to
know about my profession.
Talking to 13-14 year olds
with subtlety about whoring
takes some doing!”
But compared with some
adults, children are the
least of her worries. “I sidle
up to men and put my arm
round them, I say ‘Have
you got some coin? We can
have some fun’. I realised
after someone pulled out
a penny that it was far too
easy to get into trouble! I
had to really think on my
feet. But luckily I have done
a lot of research into the
time, and can get out of a
lot of awkward questions
through that knowledge.”
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