Welcome to Live Interpretation
The International Alliance of Museum Theatre defines live interpretation as, ‘a broad term used to cover any live interaction between museum/site staff and visitors. (IMTAL 2008). I participate in one particular type of live interpretation: high quality, professional costumed first person (character-based) interpretation. I should probably mention I’ve done a variety of other costumed work, of varying standards (but all very good fun). This type of activity is not re-enactment – interpreters are there to educate and communicate, not present a version of the past as historical truth. It is not volunteers in home-made costumes – trained costumiers ensure that outfits are historically as accurate as can be ascertained so that the clothing itself can form part of the interpretive toolkit available, and we are definitely paid. This is a professional job. It is not scripted, nor performed as a vignette for an audience. Done well it is highly interactive, accessible to all without presenting a dumbed down version of the past, and can be challenging, provoking and, most importantly enjoyable.
‘Can you eat in that?’
The physical aspects of the past are often the most striking to visitors when initially faced with a costumed character. The most common questions asked to interpreters are based on the material environment: Are you hot/cold in that? Does your corset hurt? Are you wearing any underwear?(!) Interpretation of this nature is primarily concerned with visitor-character interaction to maximise the opportunity for communication of key interpretive points, sneakily conveyed while the visitor is under the impression of merely having fun. Opportunities for task-based activities are therefore limited as any task is likely never to be finished due to the requirements of the paying public. However, certain activities have enormous potential for enriching the visitor experience while still enabling the crucial interactive element to take precedence: food preparation is one of these, and a key element that I use in my interpretive work.
In the year prior to stating my PhD I worked as a freelance interpreter for Past Pleasures, the leading provider of costumed characters in the UK (and beyond – they have close links with Colonial Williamsberg). Periods ranged form the medieval to WW2, with core work at Hampton Court Palace, part of the Historic Royal Palace group, which has just reawarded Past Pleasures the largest contract for costumed provision in Europe. Over the course of my studies I’ve deepened my understanding of and involvement with costumed interpretation, and have just been appointed team leader on behalf of Past Pleasures for another large contract, this time with English Heritage at Audley End House, Essex.
Case Study
Brief: Interpret the newly opened service wing at Audley End.
Key interpretive points are:
• The reality of servants’ life: neither the saccharine version of costumed drama, nor the tedious ideal of the national curriculum
• The relationships within the servants’ wing: humanise the history
• The food journey: show the self-contained, low-waste nature of the Victorian house
• Specific points about Audley End: e.g. the old-fashioned nature of the Braybrookes vs the modern dairy
Solutions: Interpretation to include:
• Laundry – washing, spot cleaning and drying
• Dairy – churning, moulding and shaping
• Gamekeeper/Gardener as ‘host’ to welcome, orientate and direct visitors through the staffed route
• Kitchen – bread and stock to be made everyday, pudding to be made and consumed by staff informally, complicated family dish to be prepared as if for dinner
All activities are to involve Victorian (and some replica) objects which can be handled by the public, who will also be encouraged to aid in the processes taking place in each room. The food is crucial – consuming the dishes made adds a sense of credibility to the interpretation, while visitors will be able to engage all of their senses. In this case, even taste will be sated, since the puddings being made in the kitchen have been selected to be replicated in the site tearooms (co-incidentally situated in the former servants’ hall. Needless to say, with the opportunities for pudding sales, recipe book endorsement and take-home recipe cards, the potential for revenue generation and increasing repeat visits is significant.
Opens May 1st – for more information see
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.12088
Thanks to:
