Melford hys Companie is a group of amateur re-enactors who portray a company of travelling entertainers, typical of the late medieval and Tudor period. Normally, our events are set between 1470 and 1610, with occasional visits to the 13th century.

We are a "first person" group. That is we are portraying people of the time. For example "I am doing this" rather than "this is the way they would have done it". The chosen date for any event is our present day. We pride ourselves in our authenticity.

Our typical event involves creating an encampment around which is centred the daily life of the company. We have the dress, tools and accessories to enable us to portray life on the road, as well as Tudor names, characters, history and speech.

Our main aim is to have fun and pass this on to the visiting public along with accurate historical insight. Participation is postively encouraged, though not obligatory. Visitors often stay with us the whole day, even at small events, and can join in the dancing, take small parts in plays, try archery, learn to juggle, and enjoy playing trapball, an authentic game not unlike a cross between rounders and cricket.

Some Historie
At Kentwell Hall in Long Melford, Suffolk there is a large (300+people) event each summer portraying a Tudor Year. The founder members of MhC met at Kentwell and enjoyed it so much that we wanted to do more. So Melford Hys Companie was borne to extend the recreation year. Jack Greene (aka Mad Jack, Dr Greene, Peter Brown) mangled a few authentic scripts together to produce our first play "St George and Hys Manie Enemies" and we were off!

Over the years the Companie has grown in numbers and wealth (no longer one municple tent, but a veritable tented village at most events). But our philosophy has remained constant - have fun, entertain, and educate.

Early Days
Like many struggling artistes the early days saw us do some events that we find it hard to look back on with pride. Canterbury shopping centre for example. Fine as a shopping centre, not so great as a venue for medieval theatre (if wet our next performance will be in the Our Price Record shop . . . .. ). However through hard work and perseverance within a couple of years more suitable venues soon became the norm.

Why the name "Melford hys Companie"?

Players in the 16th century required the patronage of a nobleman (and a signed license) in order to travel around the country free from accusations of vagrancy. For example, Shakespeare was a member of the Lord Chancelor's Players. We created our patron - Lord Melford, from Long Melford, a village in Suffolk where the companie first met. Hence, we are 'Lord Melford's Companie' or 'Melford hys Companie'.

It was certainly better than Mad Jack's suggestion of "The Mumming Twats".