The Rye Heritage Centre has launched its new presentation, Rye After Dark, in time to usher in the dark, cold evenings with stories of the ghosts, witches, and deadly deeds from the town’s history.
The Rye town model, given a refresh and new electronics and lighting in 2023, has had even more technical wizardry added, designed by Keith Warby. Shadowy figures, flickering lights, and lightning are projected onto the model bringing the stories alive. There are sights, sounds, smells, and a few surprises too. The script, written by Keith Warby and the introduction by Lorraine Parsons, is well-researched and full of fascinating information.
There is the story of the murderer John Breads and what happened to his bones, hanging in the gibbet on the marsh, and accounts of herbalists and healers, witches and their trials. The many ghostly residents of the town make an appearance, acted by volunteers and members of the Rye Players: amongst them the Blue Lady of Mermaid Street, the monk gliding down Watchbell Street, and the maid carrying a tray of food through a wall in the old Flushing Inn. Clever animations and moving images add to the narrated stories and music by Andy McBreeze helps create the atmosphere.
And there are the personal experiences of encounters with the spirits: Judith Blincow of the Mermaid describes the strange manifestations and sightings in rooms in the hotel, Lorraine Parsons, who once worked in the Mermaid, told of a room which particularly disturbed the chambermaids. There is a modern tale of a haunting of a digital kind in the Ypres Castle museum told by steward, Adam Sindall. The volunteers at the heritage centre have even got a story to tell of their own!
The Rye After Dark show lasts 45 minutes and is showing on selected dates: October 31 to November 2, November 7 and 8, November 15, 22 and 29 and December 13 and 20. Book tickets here.
The Story of Rye Sound and Light show and Rye town model, giving the history of the town, is shown every day when Rye Heritage Centre is open. Both Rye After Dark and WW2: Rye’s Story will be shown on selected dates.
The Rye Heritage Centre is at Strand Quay, The Old Sail Loft, Rye TN31 7AY.
Image Credits: Rye Heritage Centre .