Writer, photographer and woodland guide Dan Cox takes you on a journey to find your local windows on the wild.

10,000 years ago, when the glaciers began to melt, the trees returned to cover the new land. By the time people came back, the whole country was covered with deep, dark, impenetrable woodland. Bears and wolves lurked in its shadows, while wild boar and great stags made their homes among the bough and the briar. To survive, people had to risk their lives and walk in the shadows, to find food, fuel and wood for their buildings.  Today, all we have left are scraps of the great, old woods to remind us of where we came from, but even now each tree, or shrub – no matter how tidy, or well-kept – is a gateway into an older, wilder world. Will you allow Brightwood to lead you into this ancient, tree-covered land where Gods roam in the shaded groves and the greatest tree of all holds the very Earth itself in its boughs?

Equal parts simple tree identification, history, personal reflection and exploration in mythology, these walks, each one newly made in response to its location, explore what the trees are that stand around us, what they were used for in the past and what they meant to people who understood that everything they needed came from the dark, dangerous woods they lived beneath. They also explore  what woodland means for us today; does it hold the promise of a cure from the the noise and stress of modernity?

The walks are aimed at adults and young people, though parents can bring smaller children along at their own discretion, and will appeal to general audiences as well as those with specific interests in nature, history, myth and mental health. They’re also good exercise and a great way to explore your local area.

The Company

Brightwood: Walks in the Wild is written and performed by Dan Cox, supported by director/producer Paul Burgess and storyteller Sef Townsend.

Dan Cox is a naturalist, writer, photographer, storyteller and guide with many years experience of leading tours in historical and wild spaces

The Location

• We will work with the venue to find a suitable woodland location and Dan Cox will visit the site ahead of the event to plan the walk
• The woodland needs to have good public access, both in terms of the audiences reaching the woodland and being able to walk in it. Ideally it  will have wheelchair access
• Audience members will be responsible for wearing their own suitable footwear and being prepared for bad weather.

Performance Info

• The piece has no technical requirements
• Running time approx 1 hour??
• Dan can do up to 3?? performances in 1 day
• The venue will provide ticketing and standard marketing
• Cost: negotiable
• A BSL interpreted version can be arranged for an additional cost

Contact

To find out more or to book a performance please contact Paul Burgess at Daedalus Theatre Company.

Photos: Dan Cox and Tan Nidhivir