Kynren is celebrating its tenth anniversary season in 2025. Since its debut in 2016, this spectacular outdoor live show in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, brings to life 2,000 years of British history through an epic performance in a beautiful outdoor location, featuring a 1000-strong volunteer cast and crew.
No ‘island of strangers’ here. Kynren is a huge community pulling together in unity. Kynren is a spectacle, a showpiece of choreography, inspired creativity, grand-scale choreography, carnival, dancing, fight sequences, dynamic set, costume, lights, sound, walking on water, smoke without mirrors. Spectacular.
Immersive history
New for 2025 is the immersive history pre-show experience, Viking Village. No pillaging here but Vikings maraud the crowd and invite you to move closer to the past. Up close with the animals, see into homes shared with sheep, the women fishing, watch shield maidens hone their sword skills and practise your battle cry. Like a bank holiday barbecue, the lure of iron and flame drew the men to the Blacksmith’s forge. Children prepare to push through the legs to listen to life re-told. Re-enactors take note to let the children see.
‘Wondrous‘
The show itself is a journey through the history of “us” – although for “us” read a Govian ‘Boy’s Own History of England’ from the Romans to the almost current day – with pit stops to see Boudicca and the suffragettes along the way.
My companion noted how rooted Kynren is in the place of the North East and yet no reference to King Oswald or St Aiden. A full cast dancing celebration of Durham Miners Gala was wonderful and the depiction of Durham Cathedral sculpted through light and water was wondrous.
Encompassing a huge Roman display, chariots, Arthurian knights, battles, Viking raids, the Western Front, the Tudors, Victoria, Shakespeare and a strangely prolonged time with William The Conqueror, there is a lack of both diversity and historical accuracy. It is though, an experience to be enjoyed for what it is.
The animals were the true stars of the evening – sheep, geese, cows and a herd of beautiful white horses, wonderfully tended and cared for.
Logistics and services
Most impressive of all were the logistics and services. From the signposting long before the venue is reached, the car park supervision, the ticket gates, the plentiful and mono-directional toilets, food court queue planning and the gates in and out of the scaffolded seating, all thought through, all flowed and felt safe. The path from the car park to the event site is long but wheelchair accessible. Volunteers are plentiful and well-trained. Assistance won’t meet resistance.
Just three criticisms: mobile phones, mobile phones, mobile phones. Although noted in writing, an announcement needs to be made. The multiple phones filming at any one time was hugely distracting, especially as the light went down. Our ancestors lived their experience in presence and we should too.
Kynren is family entertainment that’s not just for families. It is a late start in twilight and a later finish in darkness. This 90 minute sensorial feast is a long time to focus for the under-tens – children near me were distracted and lost throughout, leaving early. Please note later in the season, showtimes start earlier.
Kynren is showing every Saturday night from 19 July to 13 September 2025 – you can book here.
