When the Royal Armouries came to Leeds in the 1990’s, it was ahead of its time in the extent and pioneering quality of the museum’s live interpretation programme, bringing the collection to life through live performance. This remains at the heart of the museum’s work today: the interpretation team delivers a packed event and activity programme of 1,800 performances every year, including storytelling, handling sessions and the cut and thrust of historically accurate combat demonstrations. Meanwhile the outdoor arena, the tiltyard, is renowned for bringing the thrilling spectacle of authentic medieval jousting to the heart of the city every year as part of our annual Easter tournament.
At the heart of this innovation was John Waller. John spent a lifetime studying arms and armour and was a world authority on historic combat. Before retirement John was Creative Director of the Royal Armouries where he directed the live interpretations and horse shows and was the adviser during the production of many of the films shown within our galleries. Even after his retirement John continued to support and influence the work of the Royal Armouries in his role as Honorary Historical Consultant.
The Royal Armouries has recently launched an internship programme, offering drama and stage fighting students and opportunity to consolidate their training under the coaching and supervision of Royal Armouries’ own experienced team and to perform on a daily basis as part of the event programme in Leeds. Coaching includes:
- the Royal Armouries ‘house style’ of stage fighting pioneered by John Waller and continued and developed by his son Jonathan Waller, including stage fighting in accurate reproduction armour;
- live interpretation, both as part of the combat programme, but also as character roles in the daily and special event programme,
- opportunities to engage with and learn from the national collection of arms and armour
This internship is a pilot. Its feasibility has been gauged in consultation with Jonathan Waller and the British Academy of Dramatic Combat. If successful, the internship programme will run annually and hopefully expand. To honour John’s memory and ensure that his legacy lives on, the internship will be named ‘The John Waller memorial internship’. Donations can be made in John’s memory by clicking the donate button above.
Not only will your donation be in memory of John Waller but ultimately it will help us to continue John’s legacy to raise the quality of stage fighting in theatre, film and heritage, as well as creating the employees of the combat team in the Royal Armouries of the future.