Malory's Morte Darthur in Historically-Based Performance

The Historical Context

The occasion

We set this performance in the Manor of Newbold Revel, Warwickshire, in late 1470.

The place

The manor of Newbold Revel, Warwickshire. Thomas Malory's father, John Malory, acquired this manor through his marriage to Alice Revel, who inherited the manor on the death of her father John Revel with no male heir. Ironically, the site is now occupied by a branch of Her Majesty's Prison Service.

The date: why 1470?

We set this performance in late 1470. Thomas Malory was released from prison around October 1470 and died on 14 March 1471. He wrote the Morte Darthur while in prison for his support of the Lancastrian cause in the Wars of the Roses.

This performance

Accordingly, we set this performance in the Manor of Newbold Revel, Warwickshire, in late 1470, in the space between Thomas Malory's release from prison around October 1470 and his death on 14 March 1471. We imagine him performing the climactic battle of his book before an audience of his Lancastrian and Warwickshire allies

Colin Gibbings plays Geoffrey Chaucer, Mike Cichon directed (with Peter Robinson) and introduces the performance. Filming and post-production editing was by the University of Saskatchewan Media Production team. Performed and filmed in St Thomas More College on Thursday 24th March 2016. We are grateful to St Thomas More College for hosting this performance.

For teachers and students