It's important to never forget the past

TORCHLIGHT Mysteries holds a very dear place in my heart, as an organisation that explores mysteries in heritage locations and brings history to life.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Mar 2017, 06:00 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 10:57 BST
Kyle Stanford in character, on board HMS M33Kyle Stanford in character, on board HMS M33
Kyle Stanford in character, on board HMS M33

We find a blend of humour and intrigue can really spark an interest in history for people who may never have thought about it before.

This, along with a passion for creating performances and experiences in exclusive locations to bring these places to the forefront of people’s minds, is the foundation on which Torchlight Mysteries was built.

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It is a personal pleasure to work with organisations such as The Wymering Trust which allows us access to Wymering Manor.

Our vast array of shows spanning multiple platforms means a diverse range of people can experience the importance of such a building.

The company is currently working on a number of projects; one we’re staging at Wymering Manor is Agatha Christie’s The Hollow.

Christie is an incredibly important part of our cultural heritage, being the world’s best selling novelist. We had the pleasure of performing Ms Christie’s play Spider’s Web recently at both Wymering Manor and Square Tower and now we are tackling The Hollow.

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Working with the trust to put on these pieces as well as bring in volunteers, creates an amazing sense of community and buzz around a place that time almost forgot. A place with Saxon foundations, named in the Domesday book, visited by Queens (Emma of the Sandwich Islands and Queen Mary); a place with a wealth of history.

We have also been working closely with Portsmouth Dockyard for many years and have recently been asked to create an interactive investigation on board the HMS M33.

A puzzling crime designed to take the audience through their own journey on board the ship, interrogating the ship’s crew along the way. This piece aims to bring the ship to life and draw people to the lesser known attraction within the dockyard.

We should never forget our past; the people that built us as a nation, protected us in our time of need, and suffered so we don’t have to. These distinctive venues and unique pieces are a reminder that history is not dead and history can often be fun. We have a passion for communicating this through the arts, making great stories of our shared past accessible to all.

The M33 Mystery is taking place on Friday, March 31, and The Hollow is taking place from March 29 to April 7. Visit torchlightmysteries.com for more information.