At Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, we always want our visitors to get the most out of the their visits- either just having fun or learning something, or both!
We've produced a number of theatrical productions at the Hall over the past couple of years, based around different themes.
The first was based around the subject of the drainage of the Fens in the 17th century, and featured a debate between a local lad, who wanted his way of life kept the same, and an 'Undertaker' or an 'Adventurer' who wanted to drain the Fens to earn money and 'improve' things. The debates were very lively, with the final votes tending towards the local's point of view!
Another project we've taken part in is one based around World War I. Ayscoughfee Hall was used as a billet for refugees during the 1914-1918 war, and we wanted to try and recreate some of the experiences of local people during the war for our visitors. Topics we explored included nursing and the recovery of soldiers back from the Front, as well as recruitment and conscription and the Land Army, who were an important part of Lincolnshire's war effort.
We also act as a venue for professional theatre productions, the most recent of which was a production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, by the
Spalding youth theatre company Act 2.
Our most recent success was a wonderful production of A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by
St Nicolas Players, another local group who staged Shakespeare's ever-popular classic in the remarkable setting of Ayscoughfee Gardens in June 2011.
These events were all a great success, and we hope to put on more similar productions in the future. We'll let you know what we're planning, and hope that you'll join us for a unique insight into history!
