Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2007 | Page 26

life INTERVIEW LIVING HISTORY Each summer a 17th century re-enactment group come and pitch their cloth tents and live in the grounds of Arreton for a week in June and again in August. The Church State Household Group, a group of thespians, play out a plot which runs the length of their stay. Visitors may drop in and may be induced into taking part. The ticket price includes as many returns to the grounds as it takes to see the plot through. Although there is a plot, the dialogue is entirely ad-libbed, made up on the hoof in response to whatever questions their 21st century visitors may throw at them. One man, who found it hard to step out of character and who gave his name as Penance Before the Lord, described the buzz he gets from it. “Most of the day we are like rabbits in headlights, hoping a real historian doesn’t turn up!” Ginny, a buxom whore, is played by Suzanne Carr, and she finds her role causes her to draw on all her ingenuity. “A school group wanted to know about my profession. Talking to 13-14 year olds with subtlety about whoring takes some doing!” But compared with some adults, children are the least of her worries. “I sidle up to men and put my arm round them, I say ‘Have you got some coin? We can have some fun’. I realised after someone pulled out a penny that it was far too easy to get into trouble! I had to really think on my feet. But luckily I have done a lot of research into the time, and can get out of a lot of awkward questions through that knowledge.” 26 Island Life - www.islandlife.tv