Falchion Shows
What we can do...
Shows by Team Falchion can take a variety of formats. Our usual event includes combat demonstrations or shows from an arena, supplemented by talks and audience interaction regarding our weapons and armour, and exhibitions of crafts in progress.
Arena Combat
Our presentation can be tailored to suit the venue or the client requirements. We can perform serious tournament combat between armoured knights, which usually results in armour getting quite banged up, but afterall, that's what it's there for!
Alternatively, we can perform more light-hearted shows, where we play out a short story or scene, revolving around armed combat, but sometimes with a twist. We have been known to use frying pans as deadly weapons...
We can theme our shows or demonstrations towards a particular aspect. We can present Robin Hood... King Arthur... St George, and of course our historical personae including Sir Nicholas de Cantilupe and Sir Sampson de Strelley, both 14th century knights of Nottinghamshire.
Our combats will present a mix of weapons and armour, including unarmoured peasants with bare fists, elbows and sticks right through to fully-armoured knights with warsword, pollaxe and mace. We try to educate as well as entertain, and will often explain how and why certain weapons were developed, as well as the armour to counter them.
Crafts and Living History
Our arena presentations do not usually stand alone. We will normally set up a camp representing a cross-section of medieval life. Of course, medieval folk didn't spend their lives living in tents, but canvas shelters of authentic style help to present authentic crafts in the unpredictable British weather!
Our craftsmen and women can demonstrate and talk about a variety of medieval jobs, including the process of turning sheep fleece into woollen garments; cookery and food preparation; leather-working; armour-making and general smithing; candle-making; and wood-turning.
The team has a portable bellows-forge and forge equipment, so that live demonstrations of metalworking can take place. We can make arrow heads, cloak pins, knife blades etc during the course of an event. Similarly, the leatherworker can make small items, or carve and decorate leather.
Our woolcraft area shows the process of taking an untreated pile of shorn fleece, and preparing it for garment-making, through the use of carding, cleaning, spinning, braiding and weaving. Members of the public can have a go at carding, spinning and braiding.
Other presenters will give talks about weapons and armour, and allow hands-on experience of some of our equipment. We have spare helmets for children to try on.
We also have a motley band of rogues and lords, who will go about their daily lives in camp (for the soldiers, this mainly involves cleaning weapons and armour, gambling, arguing, and trying to steal more than their share of food from the kitchen).
All of our presenters are more than willing to talk about the lives and times of their characters, putting their presentations into context
Other Presentations
We have also been known to perform other shows in our arena, including a 14th century fashion show (What Not To Wear To War in 1340), jousting (with hobby-horses!) and childrens battles.
If the venue is appropriate, we can also provide have-a-go archery for the public.