2017 will be commemorated across the UK and beyond as the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation. 31 October 1517 is the day on which Martin Luther is famously reputed to have nailed his theses to the door in Wittenberg, lighting the blue touch-paper of the Reformation. Cambridge has been described as the cradle of the Reformation in England and many significant events took place in and around Great St Mary’s church.
Join us on Saturday 28 October, 11am–4pm, for a free family activity day in Great St Mary’s Church, with hands-on craft activities, Tudor music and drama, exploring the events of 500 years ago. Meet King Henry VIII and a host of Tudor heroes, villains, heretics and villagers and experience the sights and sounds of long ago. The day will run as follows:
- 11.30am: Children’s Storytelling- Relics, Revolt and Reformation
- 12pm: Nailing of the 95 Theses
- 12.30pm: The Story of Bucer’s Body
- 1pm: An Audience with King Henry VIII
- 2pm: Northumberland proclaims Lady Jane Grey as Queen in the Cambridge Market Square
- 3pm: The story of Bucer’s Body
- 3.30pm: Children’s storytelling — The Curious Tale of the Cambridge book fish
Reformation 500 will dramatise how Martin Luther’s theses changed history in England with a spectacular play in Great St Mary’s, starting at 7pm on 28 October. Drama, music, kings, queens, martyrdom, tragedy and redemption, the tumultuous events of the Reformation in Cambridge are brought to life in the beautiful setting of Great St Mary’s. There will be a wine reception during the interval and an opportunity to meet the cast in character. There is no ticketing for this event, but we recommend you arrive in good time to be sure of a seat.
Reformation 500 is is a collaboration between Remembering the Reformation, Great St Mary’s Church and HistoryNeedsYou. Remembering the Reformation is an AHRC-funded research project based at the Universities of Cambridge and York. Reformation 500 is written and directed by Matthew Ward, Director of HistoryNeedsYou. He has worked on many well-known productions including Poldark and Horrible Histories for the BBC.