Powder Treason! Guy Fawkes (costumed interpreter) himself renders his own account of his actions in this tragedy of faith that has led him to the scaffold: Over 400 years since the discovery of the great “Powder Treason” and it is still Guy Fawkes’ name that is primarily linked with this historic event which had aimed to blow King James I and Parliament to smithereens. But Guy was only one of a band of fourteen Catholic plotters lead by the charismatic Robert Catesby. As a mercenary soldier, Guido was recruited for his skills with gunpowder. Caught red handed by the authorities posing as a servant John Johnson, Guy steadfastly refused to give away the names of his fellow plotters under torture even as their doomed uprising came to a bitter end at Holbeach House….
But how did the persecution of Catholics by the state lead this Yorkshireman and the other plotters to this desperate act in the first place and why did the plotters believe that their “stir” was aided by God? Even when the plot was obviously doomed the Plotters refused to believe that the State could possible know what was afoot since all had sworn to secrecy. But with the benefit of today’s hindsight we know that the State had been aware of a plot for at least 6 months and it seems likely that the plotters were manipulated so that the Plot was eventually discovered on King James’ lucky day: Tuesday the 5th. Guy and the surviving plotters from Holbeach were tried and condemned for Treason and suffered a terrible fate of hanging, drawing and quartering. Cruelly left until last, and still suffering from the effects of the rack, Guy does not know that he will be spared the worst agonies as his neck will be broken on the scaffold. Perhaps his faith and loyalty to his friends was rewarded after all…