Rob Rees Experiences Kynren’s Epic Historical Tale, whilst Enjoying A Surprising Cultural Weekend In County Durham
Kynren is one of this summer’s must-see open-air spectacles. Staged in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and set against the backdrop of Auckland Castle, the Olympic-scale show retells 2,000 years of British history through dazzling special effects, gripping storytelling, and a 1,000-strong volunteer cast from the local area. Over 50 animals, including horses, sheep, geese, cattle and donkeys appear at various points.
This 90-minute theatrical journey whisks audiences from Roman Britain to World War II, weaving together epic battles, royal dramas, Viking raids, footballing folklore, the industrial age and the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham. The scale is monumental: the 7.5-acre stage features a lake, castle, historical buildings and seating for 8,000. The unimaginable stage is one of the largest and most elaborate outdoor theatrical sets in Europe.
The lake plays a starring role. Hidden lifts and platforms, pyrotechnics, lighting, fog, and jets of water transform it into a battlefield, a harbour or a cathedral square. Full-sized Viking longships glide across it; knights thunder through the shallows on horseback; flaming raids erupt as warriors storm ashore.
William Shakespeare serenades Elizabeth I on her royal barge with two of his famous plays. And even the Beatles and Elton John amble across it! The infrastructure behind the scenes is just as impressive – a complex network of concealed roadways, tracks and turntables ensures seamless choreography for the endless array of people, costume changes, props, animals and machines.
This is no amateur historical re-enactment or village pageant. It’s vast, professional, immersive, cinematic and utterly transporting. In time, I’m sure Kynren will become as world famous as the Edinburgh Tattoo and a much-sought-after summer ticket. Kynren is inspired by Cinéscénie, the show held at the Grand Parc du Puy in western France since 1978.
Produced by charity Eleven Arches, Kynren runs this year on nine Saturday evenings between 19 July and 13 September, timed to start at twilight. Since its 2016 debut, it has won praise for its ambitious production values, emotional depth and the community spirit it has engendered. Tens of thousands of volunteer hours go into its preparation and staging. Its name, drawn from the Old English cynren – meaning family, kin and generation – encapsulates its heart: a tribute to identity, place, and shared stories.
Kynren follows a dramatic arc through the ages:
Ancient beginnings: Roman conquests, King Arthur’s Grail quest, Saxon-Christian encounters
Medieval and Tudor times: knights, the English Civil War, Henry VIII, and the unique powers of the Durham Bishopric
The industrial boom: coal mining, pit disasters, and the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Modern Britain: trench warfare, Churchill’s “finest hour”, and the rise of pop culture
The show evolves each season. This year’s edition includes a cast-carrying, full-scale, working replica of Locomotion No.1, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the world’s first public steam passenger railway.
Kynren is a true feast for the senses – with choreographed combat, horse stunts, flaming torches and fountains, all climaxing in a fireworks-fuelled finale involving the entire cast, where the Union Jack is proudly unfurled centre stage. Kynren provides a rare and powerful crystallisation of the English identity. Most educationalists and politicians would be well minded to learn from it.
I particularly loved the medieval jousting, the sight of Bobby Moore with the Jules Rimet Trophy aloft amongst England’s 1966 World Cup winning team and the incredibly well-behaved gaggle of geese. There is so much richness and something for every age and interest.
You could easily visit half a dozen times before fully appreciating the depth, humour and nuance of the production. It’s storytelling on a grand scale – clever, emotionally resonant, spectacularly staged and deeply rooted in the identity of England’s North East. But more than entertainment, Kynren has catalysed a wider cultural renaissance in Bishop Auckland.
The Auckland Project: Art, Faith and Regeneration
Kynren is the cornerstone of a wider revitalisation vision known as the Auckland Project. This bold philanthropic mission is led by financier and art collector Jonathan Ruffer, who initiated Kynren and has invested over £100 million of his own wealth into transforming Bishop Auckland, a once-prosperous mining town cut adrift after industrial decline.
His guiding belief is simple: culture can rebuild communities, both economically and spiritually.
Bishop Auckland was once a key player in Britain’s Industrial Revolution. It thrived as a coal, engineering and railway hub, surrounded by the Durham collieries. The town’s proud heritage includes Bishop Auckland FC, the country’s most successful amateur football club (with 10 FA Amateur Cup wins) and local figures like Stan Laurel, who spent his childhood here, when his father ran the local Eden Theatre.
Ruffer’s own journey began in 2012 when he bought the celebrated Zurbarán paintings – Spanish religious masterpieces long housed in Auckland Castle – to prevent their sale abroad. That act sparked a much broader ambition: to use art, history, and faith to breathe life back into the town.
In brief, today’s Auckland Project has grown to include:
Auckland Castle / Palace : Once the seat of the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham, now restored with the Zurbarán paintings and St Peter’s Chapel. There’s a renovated Walled Garden and Deer Park too
The Faith Museum: A new award-winning space exploring belief and devotion in Britain since time immemorial
The Spanish Gallery: The UK’s first museum dedicated to Spanish Golden Age art, with works by El Greco, Velázquez and Zurbarán, housed in a beautifully converted bank with cathedral high ceilings
The Mining Art Gallery: A moving collection of over 400 works by coalfield artists, offering a deeply personal lens on the struggles and dignity of industrial life
With £200 million of combined public and private investment, the Auckland Project has become a powerful model for regeneration, transforming Bishop Auckland into an unlikely but compelling cultural destination. The investments are not over yet. There are advanced plans to further transform the Kynren site into a permanent, day-time historical theme park, rich in live shows, immersive period environments, animals and trained birds of prey. The initial phase is due to open in 2026. So watch this space.
Why You Should Go
Whether you come for the fireworks and horses or the quiet power of Spanish masterpieces and faith heritage, Bishop Auckland offers something rare – a renaissance weekend of contrasts and depth. Kynren is the beating heart of it, a breathtaking show with soul and substance. The ever-evolving Auckland Project gives that heart a more permanent pulse.
Go now, before the secret’s out and whilst you’re still able to secure a Kynren ticket.
Tell Me More About Kynren And Bishop Auckland
Kynren performances run Saturday evenings from 19th July to 13th September.
Gates open around 5:30pm. Tickets: £30 adults / £20 children
Pre-show there’s a working Viking Village, a living-history experience with roundhouses, blacksmiths, Norse livestock, and live crafts, setting the stage for the dramatic Viking battle scenes in the evening show.
Visit here for accommodation and the attractions of the Auckland Project
For things to do in the wider County Durham region: Visit County Durham
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