Morris Itenerary

— June 27th, 2008

Will KempThe Stats - 9 days, up to six counties - in that time 6 half marathons, 2 marathons (and one easy day of just 7 miles) - from London To Norwich - Running?  No - Morris Dancing...

The Inspiration - The year – 1599.  The place – the Rose Theatre, London.  Shakespeare is about to premiere his new masterpiece Hamlet.

William Kemp was Shakespeare’s favourite clown (he’d created the roles of Dogberry, Bottom, Peter the Clown). Shakespeare’s Favourite, that is, until a blazing row in 1600 when Shakespeare turned down Kemp’s idea for a comedy dog on wheels in Hamlet (to be fair Hamlet’s not a barrel of laughs!).  Incensed at Shakespeare’s reluctance to allow him centre stage, Kemp threw all his hilarious toys (including the dog on wheels) out of his Jacobean pram and stormed out, determined to prove to Shakespeare the true nature of comedy. To this end in 1600 – he set out to Morris Dance to Norwich - which is approximately 150 miles.

That’s an hour and a half on the train, two hours in the car, three days on a bike or nine days with bells and brandishing hankies. In 1600 Kemp wrote a poem about his Nine Days of Morris Dancing called the "Nine Daies Wonder".  In 2008, Tim read it…

This will be a road trip unlike any other...

The Itinerary...