REVIEW: A magical sense of Christmas past is conjured on the Shakespeare Birthplace candlelit tour
Twinkling lights and a sense of the Shakespeare family at play is on offer at the Birthplace this month.
Especially for Christmas, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is hosting a tour of the Henley Street home by candlelight.
A festive feeling was already in the air on a crisp Thursday evening last week when the Herald grabbed a candle (battery-powered – can’t risk the second best bed going up in flames) and went on the tour.
While we await the tour to begin, we enjoy mince pies and mulled wine, while being serenaded by harpsichord.
Smiley tour guide Rebecca Lagmasino looks splendid in Tudor maid garb as she arrives to take us on an atmospheric cruise around the house.
The rooms are gorgeously garlanded with holly, ivy and other festive greenery, while the glow of the candles spreads a magical aura over each room. It’s almost as if the family has popped out for a moment as games are set out waiting for players and a feast on the dining table looks as though it’s just been served.
As our small group stroll through each room, Rebecca expertly describes the traditions of a Tudor and Jacobian-inspired Christmas.
Back in Shakespeare’s time folks took celebrations a lot slower – there wasn’t all the fuss just for one mad present-ripping day.
In the 16th and 17th century the focus was less on Christmas Day itself and more on the 12 days of Christmas, which run from 25th December until 6th January.
Wassail was dispensed by groups who carried the cauldron of beer and roasted apples from door to door... Rebecca removes a partition covering the front door and invites us to imagine Shakespeare himself greeting the wassailers.
Presiding over the revelries throughout the 12 days was the Lord of Misrule, a clownish figure appointed to organise the entertainments, which could include plays performed by traveling mummers and games of chance or skill. Inspiration perhaps for many a Shakespeare jester.
Gifts were exchanged on New Year’s Day. Traditional presents included an orange stuck with cloves or a modest piece of ginger.
Continuing her narration, Rebecca says: “There would be carol singing, dancing and games. And one popular game was Hoodman’s Blind’, which is likely to be an ancestor of Blind Man’s Buff.”
She continues: “The family would have had a traditional yule log, which goes back to pagan times. Instead of Christmas trees or decorations, the house would have been decked with winter greenery, such as holm, ivy, and bay.
“You might have been greeted by the warming familiar scents of the festive season, including mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon.”
As a family of five, the build-up to Christmas is always at a frantic pace in the Sutherland household – there are social functions galore and bank of mum and dad goes into overdraft as a gazillion presents and festive must-haves are purchased.
But as my senses soak in the atmosphere of the house, all feels calm. It’s an epiphany of sorts: ah, this is the real spirit of Christmas.
Candlelit Christmas at Shakespeare’s Birthplace takes over the next two weekends: 7th to 9th, and 14th to 16th December, between 5pm and 7pm. Prebook tickets at www.shakespeare.org.uk