A day long event marking the 400^th anniversary of the 1626 Lord Mayor’s Show, with a walking tour and performances of elements from the shows, as well as a table top workshop looking at the ‘lost’ 1627 pageant.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the livery companies of London would commission writers and artists to create a brand new triumph for the inauguration of the new Lord Mayor of London. Landing on the 29^th October each year, the pageants would appear on the streets of London and on the Thames, principally playing out of the great thoroughfare of Cheapside.

The day will begin outside the Guildhall, with a walking tour of route of the 1626 Lord Mayor’s Show, with Professor Tracey Hill and actors from the Beyond Shakespeare Company. After some lunch we will then repair to the Guildhall Library for a look at the ‘lost’ pageant of 1627, where we will explore what we know about it from surviving records, and what we can infer from other shows.

This will include a look at original documents of performance, kindly supplied by the Guildhall Library.

The walking tour is planned to go ahead in all but the most extreme of weathers. In the event of torrential rain, the walking tour will be adapted for the indoor space of the Guildhall, but do be prepared for the surprises of the British autumn.

Timing: 10.30am till 3.30pm

Tickets are not on sale yet, but you can be first in line by signing up on this form.

Location: The Guildhall Library and the surrounding streets of London.