Real-life riots in Victorian Knaresborough turned into a stirring new drama for Feva festival

It’s one of the most incredible, if little known, stories in the town’s history featuring riot, wrongful imprisonment, death and redemption – and it’s all true.

The trouble that fateful day in 1865 was the culmination of a long-running battle between a London-based man of privilege and magistrate, Dr John Simpson, and local people over his perceived grab of common land next to his second home at Castle Lodge in Knaresborough which he had engineered with the help of the Duke of Devonshire.

The end result was a riot, which became a legal injustice, which turned into a Victorian cause célèbre.

Called The Knaresborough Eleven, the powerful new community production will premiere at Knaresborough Castle itself.

Co-written by Clare Lucy and John Westmancoat, the play was devised through community workshops, drawing on local research conducted by Howard Johnson and a book called The Extraordinary Tale of the Castle Yard Riot written in 2023 by Jackie Glew, who is a descendent of one of the rioters.

Over the course of 11 scenes, the audience will be led round the Knaresborough Castle grounds and introduced to many different characters who all have their own opinion of the alleged riot and final verdict.

The cast is drawn from both Knaresborough and Harrogate with the show’s producer, Rowena Lloyd, saying: “Join this historical moment, come part of the past, present and future of the Knaresborough Community and show your support for the Knaresborough Eleven.

"This play isn’t just about our town’s history, it’s about the strength of our community today.”

Presented by Yorkshire CREATE and Rabbit Head Productions Ltd, The Knaresborough Eleven will run at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm on Sunday, August 10 at Knaresborough Castle.

For tickets, visit: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/yorkshire-create

Feva festival will run from Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 17 with a feast of entertainment at a wide range of locations around Knaresborough.

The final weekend will include Knaresborough Lions' Beer Festival and Picnic in the Park.

Information: https://feva.info/