Past Pleasures' interpreters come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds and include teachers, academics, historians, writers, actors and historical performance specialists - with one thing in common: a passion for sharing history with others.

Many specialise in a particular subject area (eg; architecture, military history, material culture, religion, garden design, art history, science) or in a particular practical discipline (such as foodways or the history of dance), while the expertise of others lies in a particular historical period - and our collected interest spans every era from Ancient Britain to the Modern Age: 'From Plato to Nato' or 'From Stonehenge to Safeway'!

All our interpreters possess research skills as well as a wide range of performance abilities - which include storytelling, voice projection, singing, dancing and stage combat - and all have the confidence to stand before strangers and present themselves and their information in period dress. But one of the principal reasons for their success in capturing - and holding - visitors is charm...

Past Pleasures is unique in that we do not use scripts. Founder and Managing Director Mark Wallis firmly believes that historic sites, museums and galleries are not stages and that visitors are not a passive theatre audience.

"Live Interpretation is like theatre but is not theatre, at least, not conventional theatre."

One advantage of not using scripts is that it frees the interpreter to respond to the visitors' interests - while still adhering to the aims and structure of the event. We use improvisation and dramatic techniques to immerse visitors in our world, should they choose to be immersed.

Because rigorous research (often undertaken in conjunction with the site's education officer) is at the root of our characterisations, clients can relax in the knowledge that their learning outcomes and objectives will be met. Education underpins all our work but is worn lightly.