Feel the Elemental Force: Nottingham Castle comes alive for Light Night

Nottingham Castle came to life on Friday evening as part of brand new event - Elemental Force. Enjoyed as part of the Light Night celebrations across Nottingham City, this ticketed event was quickly booked up, and saw the grand walls of the ducal mansion used as a backdrop to project the history of the region to an excitable crowd. The evening was a feast of fireworks, booming audio and a dazzling fire garden, breathing new life into history, with spectators both young and old enthralled by the experience. Prior to the performances, visitors were invited to walk around the grounds of Nottingham Castle, which had been beautifully lit by the fire garden. Fire gardens (decorative metal structures ablaze with dancing flames) have been illuminating festivals and events across the country recently; and the flames at Nottingham Castle provided the perfect pre-show warm-up to the forthcoming event. Unlike the great fire of 1831 which ravaged through Nottingham Castle, the fire garden was a welcome display and many visitors commented on how glorious the grounds looked when met by the elegant amber glow on arrival. Atmospheric music filled the ground as the audience filed in through the grand castle gates, and were led to the top of the green to await the start of the show. Anticipation and intrigue was at the forefront of everyone’s minds as the show was due to start. All eyes were on the castle as the projection took centre stage across the side of the building. The projection graphics were fast paced and animated; with some seemingly reacting with the castle wall itself! The performance was enhanced with a mix of flares, fireworks and sound effects and the reaction from the crowd was electric. Children delighted in the fizzes and bangs of fire and light, and historical facts filled their young minds with intrigue and wonder. From Robin Hood to Raleigh bikes, frameworks to football – a great selection of historical moments from the East Midland’s history unfolded in a new and exciting way. One particular highlight saw the wall of the castle seemingly draped in an elegant lace fabric – and it was easy to forget that what you were seeing was an animation. The salacious programme ended with a wonderful fireworks display, which could easily have rivalled Bonfire Night. For those not interested in history, the fireworks alone were worth the wait, and lit up an overcast February evening; the perfect crescendo to Light Night festivities. Gasps, cheers and the shrill screams of excitable children complimented the teams behind Elemental Force and a good evening was had by all. Post-projection comments were all in all positive, and many remarked that this was a wonderful way of reaching out to a new audience; getting them involved and excited about history of the area. You too can feel the force with the next event in Newark on 16 March. Think you’ve seen it all at Nottingham? Each event is standalone and guarantees another great evening out. Tickets are FREE and going fast. Don’t miss your chance to see local history come alive, and be a part of history with Elemental Force.