Star and co-creator of BBC's This Country and Cirencester local, Charlie Cooper, has been announced as a last minute headliner for the first ever Cirencester History Festival, this October 2024.
The actor and writer joins an already star-studded lineup for the inaugural festival with a talk about his brand new BBC series, Myth Country — described as a humorous but 'curiously touching' odyssey into the weird and wonderful world of British folk traditions and rural legends.
Tickets are now on sale for the event which will see Charlie sit down in conversation with festival president Dame Fiona Reynolds, at Cirencester’s iconic 12th-century Church of St John the Baptist on Saturday 2 November 2024 from 4pm to 5pm.
Charlie will share creative inspiration and insider stories from his new show — which was released to critical acclaim earlier this month — in a talk celebrating British folklore and ancient rituals, from demon dogs and cheese rolling to the legend of King Arthur.
He will also explore why humans still feel the need to share ancient tales, uphold obscure rituals, leave marks on the landscape and 'feel the eerie thrill' of mythical creatures in our midst.
Festival producer, Jess Yarrow said of Charlie's appearance: ‘It’s fantastic news. We are hugely excited to welcome Charlie to Cirencester’s first ever History Festival, to hear about his brilliant show and to celebrate our country’s fascinating, revealing and too-often-overlooked ancient rites, myths and rituals.
'It’s obvious Charlie is fascinated by the slightly mysterious bonds that bind people together and to our shared past — ideas that are right at the heart of our festival too.'
Charlie shot to fame in 2017 with the release of his award-winning BBC sitcom, This Country, which he co-created, co-wrote and starred in alongside his sister, Daisy May Cooper.
The inaugural Cirencester History Festival brings together a range of local, national and global history experts for a series of around-town events from Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November 2024, covering topics spanning thousands of years from the ancient world through to the 20th century.
To book tickets for the Charlie Cooper talk and to find out more about the events programme, head to the Cirencester History Festival website.
