Wig & Corset provided: Volunteers sought by Kenilworth Castle

For many of English Heritage’s volunteers around the country, the only uniform required is a name badge, but Kenilworth Castle is offering use of a wig, corset and a set of underwear, as it appeals for volunteers who are happy to dress like Elizabeth I!

The historic castle is looking for a couple of volunteers who would be happy to don full Elizabethan dress, from the wig to shoes, to help visitors better understand the life of a Tudor lady. The dress is currently being made by a specialist dressmaker, and when combined with a real hair wig and Elizabethan-effect make-up, should make the volunteers into very realistic Queen Elizabeth I look-a-likes.

“Whenever we have costumed interpreters on site, visitors flock to them in droves, so we’re looking to find a couple of volunteers who are happy to dress in the style of Elizabeth I to really bring the story of the royal romance with Robert Dudley to life,” comments property manager, Holly Woodward. “Though they will be dressed as the queen, they are not required to pretend to be her – after all, no royal worth their salt in 16thcentury England would have been seen chatting with the masses – but they will be able to describe the experience of wearing the clothes, which influences much about how Elizabethan ladies would have carried themselves.”

The Elizabethan dress is being carefully designed to offer flexibility to fit candidates of slightly different sizes, but each will be provided with their own Elizabethan undergarments. Although the volunteers will be dressed as Elizabeth I, they will not be required to shave their heads to match the Queen’s particular coiffure!

Other volunteers are also being recruited to help the new Elizabeths research life and fashions in Elizabethan England, so that the volunteer will be well equipped to answer a host of questions about the monarch during Kenilworth Castle’s ‘medieval year’, as well as helping her to get into the complex costume and joining her as she wanders around the grounds, including the beautifully-recreated Elizabethan Garden.

Anyone interested in volunteering either as the Queen or in one of the supporting roles should visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/volunteering or email volunteer.enquiries@english-heritage.org.uk

For further information on Kenilworth Castle, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth

ENDS

For further media information, please contact:

Jay Commins – PRO English Heritage (West Midlands)

Tel: 0113 251 5698

Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@fim.org.uk