Blind Jack's Last Road
feva . knaresborough . august 2026
An immersive ghost story inspired by Blind Jack metcalf
In August 2026, RIOTACT took audiences into the darkness of Knaresborough's St John the Baptist Church for an immersive theatrical journey inspired by the life and legend of Blind Jack Metcalf.
Combining live performance, sound and music within the landscape of one of Knaresborough's oldest spaces, the production transformed the churchyard into the atmospheric world of the play, leading audiences through the churchyard after dark and encountering restless figures whose stories had become entwined with Jack's final road.
The production
Written and directed by Marie Henderson, the show was created for RIOTACT for the 2026 Knaresborough FEVA Festival. Tickets sold out within two weeks of going on sale and the production ran for three nights from 17-19th August 2026.
Conceived as site-responsive theatre, the streets, churchyard and history of Knaresborough became part of the perfomance itself. Actors, singers and musicians worked together to create an original piece of theatre developed specifically for its Knaresborough setting.
THE CAST
ANNA
Emily Alderson
THE CLERK
Joel Dean
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
Gary Philpott
BLIND JACK
James Reilly
THE GIRL
Isabel Trigoso
THE SOLDIER
Toby Holbrey
THE FIDDLER
Ray Black
THE CREW
WRITER & DIRECTOR
Marie Henderson
STAGE MANAGER
Kath McGolpin
SOUND
David Aldred
LIGHTING
Marie Henderson
COSTUME
Kaye Cooke
MUSIC
Ray Black
PHOTOGRAPHY
Eve Saunders
MARSHALS​​
Eve Saunders
Colin Davis
Ang McGolpin
WITH THANKS
St John the Baptist Church, Knaresborough
Garry Hinchcliffe and the St John's Churchwardens
For allowing us to turn their beautiful church grounds into a magnificient theatre space
Harrogate Dramatic Society
For their generous support with costumes
Peter Saunders and Ewan Edmonson
'The Bed Race Boys'
For their technical genius
FEVA Festival
For giving creative artists the opportunity to express ourselves
And, to everyone else who walked Jack's road with us.
Until the next time ...