28
Jun
Ripon Theatre Festival event puts crime and punishment in the spotlight
A real-life story of crime and punishment dating back almost 200 years, will be re-enacted on July 6 as part of Ripon Theatre Festival.
The Trial of John Sinkler, produced by the Fell-Foss Theatre Company and involving members of the Workhouse Theatre Group, who work as volunteers for Ripon Museum Trust, will be staged at the Courthouse Museum.
It tells the story of the persistent Pateley Bridge criminal, who was transported to Tasmania in 1844 after he and his equally violent brother Elisha were involved in an incident in 1831 in which Thomas Dinsdale, the Ripon sergeant-as-mace, was stabbed while attempting to make an arrest.
Dinsdale, who was accompanied by three Ripon police officers, survived the attack, but the brothers escaped and new arrest warrants were issued, along with notices offering 10 guineas reward apiece for their capture.
Elisha was apprehended and in 1833 was sentenced to be hanged after conviction at York Assizes for being an accessory to wounding with intent to murder.
The sentence was later commuted to transportation to Australia.
John, who was eventually caught in 1843, also had his death sentence commuted to transportation and after both brothers served their time Down Under, the notorious and violent pair of poachers returned home, bought property and resumed their lives of crime.
Ripon Courthouse Museum, where the Trial of John Sinkler will be re-enacted
In 1870 John was again in trouble for trespassing in pursuit of game and charged with assaulting and threatening to shoot gamekeeper William Kendray.
His trial and appearance before magistrates will be re-enacted at Ripon Courthouse Museum and Mark Cronfield of Fell-Foss Theatre Company, who is producing the performance, said:
It’s very exciting to be involved in a play based on real historical events that happened here all those years ago and show what life was like for ordinary people, many of whom were trapped in poverty and struggled to survive.
Cathee Jackson, marketing manager of Ripon Museum Trust, said:
This is the third year that Fell-Foss Theatre Company and community players have partnered in live theatre around the Ripon Museums.
In 2022 the group invited audiences to watch a living history performance of the 'Jubilee at the Workhouse' and later the 'Victorian Christmas'.
In 2023 the group continued to bring the characters of the Workhouse to life during the Ripon Theatre Festival with costumed performances and live theatre.
Further details about the Ripon Theatre Festival programme, which starts on Tuesday and runs until July 7, can be found by clicking here.
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