ENTERTAINMENT 2012

2 Merry Men 7 Deadly Sins (Rated R) (all season)

Spin the “Wheel of Sin” and join Robin Hood and Little John as they sing you all the songs that you love so well. Twisted comedy and music, definitely not for the kiddies. Laugh and sing along with songs of burning pubs, dock side floozies, and yes…even a song about Moose. Just remember, what happens in the woods…STAYS in the woods! Visit 2 Merry Men's Website

3 Pints Gone

Playing Celtic traditional-style folk songs and sea shanties, their distinctive sound is full of high energy and harmony-rich arrangements.  They entertain by telling stories through the songs, that leave the audience feeling like old friends. Come have a drink old friend, they are already 3 pints gone! Visit 3 Pints Gone's Website

The Arts of Mars: A Lesson in Swordplay  (August 5, 12 & 19 ONLY) (NEW)

Join Fight Master Robert Thorne in an interactive presentation where you will learn the art and science of self-defense as it was taught in England during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Bawdy Beautiful (all season)

Join Craig of Farrington, and his friends the New Minstrel Revue, for a show filled with music to titillate and delight. Performing faire favorites as well as a few classic tunes, this show is a Bristol favorite and should not be missed. Come to the Pig & Whistle, hoist a drink, and sing along with the Bawdy Beautiful.

Belly Dance with the Great Antone  (all season) (NEW)

Performing with authentic instruments that date from before the Renaissance, the exotic sounds and hypnotic dance will sweep you away to distant lands where poets found solace and inspiration in moonlit rose gardens.  Don’t be surprised , you may be inspired to join in with the dance.

Billy Miller (all season)

“The flute is not an instrument which has a good moral effect. It is too exciting.” – Aristotle

Master flautist Billy Miller returns to Bristol to help celebrate the anniversary season with timeless music and enchanting melodies. Visit Billy Miller's Website

Billy Miller & Misti Bernard

With boundless joy and a sweeping timelessness that will haunt your memory, this is music in its truest form. The joy and magic of instrument and voice as they intertwine.

Bluebeard’s Pressgang Pageant (all season EXCEPT Aug 18/19)

Have you ever wanted to be a pirate and cruise the sea? Are you interested in sailing upon a modern, rat-free, leak-proof ship? Then step right up and be interviewed. Captain Bluebeard is hiring his new crew and now is your moment to seize the opportunity. Interested parties will be interviewed live (as opposed to the alternative) on-stage in front of the other perspective crew. Join the fun and laughter while you  earn your certificate that marks you as one of the select sailors for the Captain’s next voyage.

Bounding Main (July 14/15 & 28/29 ONLY)

Bounding Main is a costumed vocal group that sings richly harmonic versions of traditional maritime songs. Their shows are filled with spirit, humor and harmony; their arrangements of traditional nautical music bring the listener into the world of pirates, adventure and romance. Visit Bounding Main's Website

Breakfast With the Brass (all season)

Start the morning off with an infusion of music that will carry you throughout the day. Bristol’s Royal Brass is a team of master musicians who play their way through a morning set that both provokes and invigorates. Awaken the dawn and have cup of Breakfast with the Brass.

Chalk Artist (July 7/8, 28/29, Aug 11/12, Sept 1-3 ONLY) (Newly Returning!)

Join Master Chalk Artist, Stacey Williams-NG, as she brings art to life with a mere pallet of pastels.

Christophe the Insultor (Rated R)

(July 7/8, 14/15, 21/22, 28/29, Aug 4/5 & 11/12 ONLY)
If you cannot say something nice about someone, give the job of being insulting to a trained
professional. Christophe’s lightning fast, acerbic wit devastates his targets (your friends and
companions) while still managing to bring a smile to their face. Christophe the Insultor is the alter-ego of Christopher Buehlman, a playwright, comedian, actor and poet based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Visit Christophe's Website

Circa Paleo (July 14/15 & 21/22 ONLY) (NEW)

Experience a unique musical journey into folk dance tunes from around the world.  Blending energetic strings and earthy percussion, Circa Paleo brings new life to ancient melodies and rhythms that are sure to get your body moving.  Circa Paleo's music is primarily harvested from the dance tunes of cultures throughout time and distance along with some earthy interpretations of modern melodies.  Audiences are compelled to join the groove as listeners of these same rhythms have been for ages. Combining modern musical clarity with traditional roots, Circa Paleo creates a musical celebration and festive atmosphere that few can resist.

The Consort of Infinite Jest & Madrigality (July 28 & 29 ONLY)     

Ferocious fa-la-la's and hilarious harmonies abound when the Consort of Infinite Jest & Madrigality sing in your town!15 years ago, this zany madrigal quartet was formed and the planets aligned- crops grew twice as fast, babies smiled and the Queen threw gold coins into the crowd. Join the Consort of Infinite Jest & Madrigality for this special 2-day reunion! Visit their website!

Courtly Consorte

Come join Courtly Consorte, a majestic recorder ensemble with festive vocals to please your ears. Their music is rounded out with guitar, mandolin, or bodhran to make a relaxing and entertaining time at the fair for the whole family. Stroll thru Shakespeare's meadow to visit Courtly Consorte and lend thine ear to the music of the Renaissance. Visit Courtly Consorte's MySpace Page

Craig of Farrington (all season)

A wandering minstrel, specializing in love songs and bawdy songs. Craig of Farrington has been a fixture of Bristol since our inaugural season and continues to delight lovers and sweethearts with songs to bring them closer together. This delightful balladeer can be found wandering the lanes throughout the festival. Stop, listen, and learn to love. Visit Craig's Website

Cutlass Cooking: Pantry Parley (all season)

Place pirates, a chest, and cooking utensils on a stage. Mix well and let form into outrageous comedy! The Hawser family set out to make dinner in the strangest cooking show ever to sail the seven seas. Fun for the whole family!

Cutlass Cooking: Party Panic (all season)

Her Majesty is coming and the Hawser family are desperately trying to prepare a party fit for a Queen. Can a pair of bilge rats prepare a Royal Spectacle?  Seriously, can they? Come laugh along as they make the brave attempt.

Cutlass Cooking: Tenderized Tales (all season)

What do you get when you take Goldilocks, some pigs, a dash of Rapunzel, three magic beans, a girl in a red cape, and some really angry birds? Everyone knows how the classic stories are told. Everyone, that is, except for the Hawser family. Join the Hawsers on stage while they set out to tell a story or two, often at the same time.

Dan the Bard (all season)

Teller of tales, singer of songs, master of musical humor Dan walks the land, singing songs, telling tales, and doing good deeds. Listen to the tale of the “Drunken Gnome Illusionist.” Learn why a mouse, a bird, and a sausage are doomed to death! Be sure to look for Dan near the RenQuest™ encampment and ask about this one time…at Bard camp…. Visit Dan the Bard's Website

Danse Macabre (all season - weather permitting)

The Danse Macabre at Bristol is a faithful reenactment of this tradition.  As the characters in the allegory of the Danse come from all walks of life, the performers of the Danse are drawn from across all of Bristol's participants.  Weather permitting, the mysterious and elusive Danse Macabre will arise near the end of the faire day for a performance that must be seen to be believed.

Doktor Kaboom! (Sept 1-3 ONLY) (Newly Returning!)

Doktor Kaboom! performs original interactive Science Comedy shows for audiences of all ages.  Join Kaboom! for a sidesplitting journey of increasingly spectacular (and often successful) science experiments designed to involve, excite, educate, and entertain.

Drum Jam with the Great Antone (all season)

The air fills with the booming rhythms of the drums. The ground shakes with the pounding of dancing feet. Bring your drum and join the jam, or clap, stomp, whistle, dance and shout along. The roaring crescendo of a day at Bristol, where the thunder of drums fuses with the crashing waves of dance to form the sound and fury that is the Bristol Drum Jam.

Dylan Robertson (all season)

Meet Bristol’s newest homegrown sensation. Whimsical, wonderful and always witty, Dylan Robertson’s music captures the simple enchantment of the faire and encapsulates it within a myriad of musical mirth. Visit Dylan Robertson's Facebook Page

photo: Brian Clark

The Hanlon-Lees Action Theater (all season)

Cheer your favorite Knight in battle! Our brave Knights charge their competition on horseback at an astonishing 30 miles per hour! This is a full-on fast - paced event sure to please the whole family.
You may root for your Hero at the Bristol Royal Mews Joust Arena. 12:00 is the Joust of Skill, 3:00 is the Royal Joust for Her Majesty the Queen and 5:30 is the Joust to the Death! Visit the Hanlon-Lees Website

Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. Jock Stewart’s warm, comforting voice and tender guitar playing will take you away to a time when the troubadour’s music was truly art, and the art was truly magical. Whether performing solo or as a part of 3 Pints Gone, Jock Stewart  continues to delight faire-goers season after season.

Kenny Klein (Aug 4/5 & 11/12 ONLY)

As a young man Kenny spent time in the Appalachians and in Europe, where he learned Bluegrass, Old Timey, Irish and Gypsy fiddling. Author, lecturer and musician Kenny Klein returns to the Bristol Renaissance Faire this season to enchant a new audience. Blending a mixture of classical violin and gypsy fiddle into a single, breathtaking, fusion of heart and soul these are songs that you will find yourself wanting to revisit again and again. Visit Kenny Klein's Website

Klaxton (July 21/22 ONLY) (NEW)

Captain Barrington's mechanical madness will hit Bristol’s Steampunk scene.  Join the members of Klaxton for a rousing time-traveling invasion that will bring forth music and creative magic while celebrating the fantasy art of Steampunk.

Lady Ettie – Lady Ettie’s “Me Place” (all season)

Join Lady Ettie for her version of tea-time as she takes a well-deserved break from her self-appointed position as Bristol’s welcoming committee. Bring the whole family to what is truly a mad tea-party, filled with games, stories, and laughter. Visit Lady Ettie's Website

Aerial Silk Fantasy (July 7 thru Aug 19 ONLY)

Lauryn Murray graces the floor and nimbly climbs the precarious heights of silk, appearing as though gravity were merely a suggestion, not reality.  Lauryn's beauty, grace and skill will awe the young and old alike as she floats effortlessly 30 feet above Shakespeare's Meadow near the RenQuest encampment.

Living Statue (July 7/8, 14/15, 21/22 & 28/29 ONLY)

The magic of Bristol inhabits everything: The Entertainment, The Marketplace... even the city grounds! This particular statue just will not stay put!

photo: Brian Clark

Maxx & Mauldron

Two Knights At The Opera.
Direct from the joust the notorious Sir Maxmillian and Sir Mauldron get off their high horses and present a comedic and melodic yet delightfully inept presentation on their rather skewed concept of chivalry.

New Minstrel Revue (all season)

As The New Minstrel Revue, Jerry Barry, J. Bradley Collier and Thomas Nuendel have traveled all across America sharing their unique mixture of original and traditional music to exited and appreciative audiences. With a focus on vocal harmonies and a high level of musicianship these seasoned performers are consistently finding new ways to make you laugh, make you cry, or make you want to get drunk and start a band. NMR are joined on their newest CD, Big Blue Sea, by some of the finest folk musicians anywhere, performing on a set of 13 original and traditional favorites. Visit the New Minstrel Revue's Website

Ogham (July 7/8, 14/15, Aug 25/26 & Sept 1-3 ONLY)

Ogham (pronounced om) features multi-instrumentalists and vocalists T.J. Hull and Amanda Caretta-Hull. Based in Milwaukee, but performing all over the Midwest and beyond, they specialize in high-energy Irish dance music on fiddle and bodhran, and Renaissance period vocals backed by bouzouki. Their music will carry you away and fill your heart with joy. Ogham is where the heart is. Visit Ogham's Facebook Page

Preshow with Odorferious Thunderbottom – Front Gate (all season)

Start your day at the fair, BEFORE the faire with the preshow provided by Bristol’s “Keeper of the Privies.” Audience participation is just the thing to set the right tone for a wonderful day at the faire, and Odorferious Thunderbottom (aka “OTB”)’s just the thing to get you started. Watch as contestants are put through their paces in a series of challenges that only the mind of a Thunderbottom could  provide. Come down to the show before the show!

Queen’s Show: Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion (all season)

Her Royal Majesty and her court are venturing to Bristol to celebrate the Seaport town’s 25th year anniversary. Join the crazy antics of Bristol’s Master of Mayhem as he presents the Queen with an exciting and fun-filled show of celebration. 

Rambling Sailors (all season)

Rambling Sailors is a new effort by performers Gregg and Susan Csikos. Both successful soloists in their own right, Gregg and Susan performed for over a decade individually. Now with a combined experience of 23 years on the circuit, a repertoire of hundreds of songs, and harmonies that please the ear and lift the spirit, Rambling Sailors is on a mission to bring traditional sea music, history and stories to the stage, delivered in the style that inspired generations of sailors to go to sea. Visit Rambling Sailors' Website

photo: Ivan Philips

Robin Hood: Wedding Bell Blues (all season)
Upon arriving to Bristol with the intent to finally marry, Robin and Marian are confronted by Chief Justice Sir Edmund Anderson.  Anderson and his Lady at Arms, Gillian Ire, plan to bring Robin Hood to justice once and for all, no matter the cost. Will Robin and Marian finally tie the knot only to lose each other?

Sirena (all season) (NEW)

Travel back to the time of mythical gods, shipwrecked lovers, and the ethereal women whom all sailors both fear and adore--the Sirens. Straight from the depths of the sea, Aglaope, Legeia, and Raidne bring you a show filled with drumming, dancing, and all-original music. Their songs will hypnotize you and their stories will touch your hearts, but hold on to your souls, or you might find you've lost them to the hands of the Sirens!

Visit Sirena's Facebook Page

Suitcase Shakespeare: Taming of the Shrew (Aug 18 thru 26 ONLY)
It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. This high paced comedy is ready to make you split your seams and cheer on this witty battle of the sexes. Five actors present this sharp 30 minute comedy featuring live music and sound effects, acrobatics, intense sword play and wild characters. Visit Suitcase Shakespeare's Website

Suitcase Shakespeare: Shakespeare & Marlowe's Greatest Hits: They FIGHT! (Sept 1, 2 & 3 ONLY) (NEW)
Visit Suitcase Shakespeare's Website

Tartanic (July 7/8 & 14/15 & 21/22 ONLY)

The roar of bagpipes and the thunder of the drums can only mean one thing. Tartanic returns to thrill audiences with a show that truly defines “Shock and Awe!” Taking tunes out of the session and into the sensational with their own brand of humor and theatrics. This is not just music... this is an interactive spectacle brought to you by... MEN WITHOUT PANTS! Visit Tartanic's Website

Tinker MacLea (all season EXCEPT Aug 25/26)

With a festival career spanning thirty-three years, the music of the Tinker has appeared on countless albums and nationally syndicated radio shows (such as the Dr. Demento Show). Come sit for a spell and raise a pint as Tinker MacLea returns to his roots as a solo artist and song writer.

The Wit of Will (Aug 4/5 & 11/12 ONLY) (Newly Returning!)

Come one! Come All! See Master William Shakespeare in the flesh delivering action packed high energy one man shows for your viewing enjoyment! Come and join in the laugh a minute adventure that just might get you to WANT to read his plays!! Again and again!