ad Edgar Elsecar gifted outdoor theatre Show

Review : Edgar A hidden Life at Elsecar Heritage Centre

by Leyla [Thisdayilove] - 15:46

I was provided with complimentary tickets to see the performance in exchange for a review.

Last weekend the girls and I headed over to Elsecar Heritage centre as we had been invited to watch a performance of Edgar- A Hidden Life. With the show most suitable to the over 10s Little Man had gone to play at his Grandma's house and so it was just me and my girls. We arrived in plenty of time so made the most of Elsecar park whilst we waited.

Edgar - A hidden Life is written by Daniel Foulds and is based on the true story of Edgar Bower. Edgars story is one of secrets and shame, poverty and prejudice but also highlights the power of love. Edgar spends more than half a century hidden away in silence until social worker Lily Fletcher sets about to unlock the secrets of his past.

The play is part of the Hidden history project which brings to life true stories of historical characters from Yorkshire. The performance is all outdoors and set in three heritage venues in Bradford, Elsecar and Halifax throughout July. As the event is outdoors it is important to dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes as you do walk around as the story unfolds.

Edgar's story was quite complex and required a basic understanding of history. The girls didn't know what an asylum was for example or about the treatment of people with mental health problems in the past. Having a little bit of an understanding helped you to emphasize more with Edgar and gave the story a bit more context. I was certainly glad I had left Little Man at home because the girls at 9 and 10 struggled to understand at some points.

Personally I found the story very gripping, you wanted to know what would happen to Edgar. You also want to know if the story unfolding is what actually happened. Having the performance outdoors and within the grounds of the heritage centre added something special to the performance and made it seem and feel much more real.

There was absolutely no pressure to participate in the final part of the show, in fact my eldest daughter didn't want to and said no. My youngest however jumped at the chance to join in.

The girls enjoyed the show and it was great to do something a little different. Everything felt COVID safe as we were asked to wear masks and the whole performance was outside. I did have to explain some parts to the girls, as mentioned previously, but they said they enjoyed themselves. I thought it was a great performance and I immediately came home and googled Edgar Bower!

Thank you for inviting us!