There are few places in Massachusetts that can actually make you forget about the real world for a while. Not only in the sense of making you so happy that you’re not anxious about outside responsibilities, but to simply suck you into the place you are so it’s like real life doesn’t exist for a while. For 35 years King Richard's Faire has been one of those places, and I’m very happy to say it has been a big part of my life as well.
For everyone who doesn’t know, King Richard’s Faire is a Renaissance faire based in the mythical kingdom of Carvershire, located in Carver, Mass. Normally it runs from about Labor Day weekend, until sometime in October, and there is a show that runs each weekend, but is never the same two years running. Now, there are so many parts of the faire that makes it spectacular, so this will become a series of articles; but for today I want to focus on the main show that runs the theme of the faire each year.
The show begins even before the gates open, the royal court is introduced, along with any problems facing the kingdom this year. Now I’m not going to give away the show this year, but for example of years past, we’ve seen an evil court come to Carvershire and an Alice in Wonderland-type adventure ensue, and a freaky Friday situation involving the former king, the cook, the Pope, and a monkey, which is how the old king retired. The show is a musical, and all the music is taken from pop songs, old classics, or things trending right now. There was one year where all the music was from Disney princess films, including one set to “How Do You Know?” from Enchanted, and “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. This year we saw a mix of old and new, with classic 80’s and 90’s songs mingling with Les Miserables, and the current Broadway hit Hamilton.
Even though the music is a big part of the show, it’s not always what makes or breaks it. The people who work at the faire, such as King Richard X - who recently celebrated ten years on the Carvershire throne – don’t go on stage and ignore the audience. We’re integrated into the show; our reactions give room for small portions of improve at times. The fact this is all outside where the actors and audience can see each other makes it insanely easy to read and play off of each other’s energy. It also gives the unique opportunity for the actors to come among the crowd and interact during the show on an individual level. Example is this year King Richard was down in the audience before “Act 2” messing with some of the people on the back benches of the stage. It made for a great beginning, and fun photo opportunities.
Overall the faire is amazing, and the show really does make a difference to people’s experience. It lets you get to know the characters and how they interact with each other in the context of “running the kingdom” and what kind of king King Richard is. If you have the chance to go, I strongly suggest you do, and stay the whole day, go see the main show, and stick around until the band stops playing and tell you to go home already!
