| Warwick - The Pageant |
| The Pageant was performed in the grounds of Warwick Castle during the week of 2 to 7 July 1906 and was a major undertaking. The town authorities approached Louis N Parker and asked him to "add another triumph" to that which he had achieved with the Sherborne Pageant in Dorset. He happily agreed - no doubt for ample remuneration ! The Pageant took 13 months' "thought and activity to bring it to splendid fruition." It seems most of the town got involved as there was a cast of 2000, the costumes alone involving 300 ladies happily sewing !! Forty amateur artists painted the mediaeval banners, whilst "clerks in offices in the town spend their evenings for weeks (past) in fashioning swords, spears, battleaxes and arquebuses." It seems great care was taken to reproduce every item as authentically as possible. We have to assume that the event was a great success ! So what was it all about ? It seems the Pageant presented a history of Warwick in twelve episodes, a very brief synopsis of which follows:- Episode One - the dawn of Christianity in Britain, with Caradoc, son of King Kymbeline, announcing his intention to rebuild the town of Warwick which had been destroyed by the enemy. Episode Two - this episode illustrated how the Bear and Ragged Staff became the badge of the Earls of Warwick. MORE TO FOLLOW !! |
| "Guy of the Iron Hand". |
| "Britannia and Her Pages." |
| "Rohant (to Guy), 'She's thine, dear Hero' ". |
| "Dame Fisher (to Captain), 'Mercy ! Mercy !'". |
| "Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Sussex". |
| "King William III and Mother Finch". |
| "Arthur Sackville, a poor Scholar and a gentleman". So what's he doing in the stocks ? (He probably wrote the script !!) |
| "Roger de Newburgh and Gundrada". |
| "The Early Britons in the Druid Scene". This postcard was mailed in Leamington on 23 July 1906. Interestingly the writer names 3 of her friends in the photo. |
| "The boy Shakespeare embraces Queen Elizabeth". |
| "Morvid and Arthal with Bear and Ragged Staff". |
| "Mother Finch". |
| "Master and Brethren of the Leycester Hospital". |
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| postcards of the past |
| Most of the information that we have about Warwick Pageant is taken from a souvenir booklet, a copy of which was kindly provided by Sandra Richards of Warwick Castle. All the postcards on this page were produced by the Water Colour Post Card Co of Paternoster Row, EC. The colour cards were taken from prints by J N Bolton, who was also in charge of the production of the stage properties. |