WITH just 99 days until the return of Kynren, Lizzie Anderson discovers what is in store this year.

In a field on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, a young woman rides her horse purposefully past a group of excited onlookers.

With a striking feather headdress and flowing, fur-trimmed cape, the rider is every bit as majestic as the historic heroine she is portraying. For she is Boudicca, the Celtic queen who led an uprising against the Romans, and one of the many new characters to feature in Kynren: An Epic Tale of England.

Last year, thousands of people from across the country watched the live, open-air show unfold in a 7.5 acre arena in the shadow of Auckland Castle. The production, which tells the story of 2,000 years of British history, was such as success that its organiser, Eleven Arches, had to add extra dates to meet demand.

And when Kynren returns for a second season on July 1, audiences can expect even more special effects and an increased cast of more than 1,000 volunteers of all ages from the Bishop Auckland area.

Creative Director Steve Boyd and his team scrutinised every scene last year, and have added more visual depth at every opportunity, evolving the sophistication of the fire effects, pyrotechnics and projections, as well as introducing phased surround sound and increasing the complexity of the combat scenes and mass choreography.

“Our goal is to make it better and better, adding little things every year so that it becomes an annual event for people in the area,” he said. “There will always be a reason to come back, a reason to share it with your friends and family year after year.

“We want it to become a tradition whereby summer just isn’t the same without a trip to Kynren.”

Other new characters gracing the arena this year will be Augustine of Canterbury, Prince Bishop Bek, Bishop Trevor and Henry VIII’s “fixer-in-chief”, Cardinal Wolsey.

The animals, which stole the show for many last year, will also return. International eventer, Anna Warnecke, head of cavalry, is preparing extraordinary displays of horsemanship, while the geese and sheep will be joined by a donkey, three goats and a Durham Shorthorn Ox.

Eleven Arches stable manager Laurie Robinson explained: “The animals are such an important part of Kynren. They bring so much life to the show. From the speed, power and adrenaline of the jousting scenes, to the elegance of the driving horses – it wouldn’t be the same without them.”

Kynren will be staged on Friday and Saturday nights, from Saturday, July 1, to Saturday, September 16, along with a Sunday performance on August 27. Extra surprises have also been planned exclusively for the opening night.

Tickets are now on sale, with prices starting at £25 for adults and £19 for children. To book, visit elevenarches.org

See tomorrow’s The Northern Echo for more behind the scenes stories and pictures from Kynren.