With one month to go until its inaugural performance, Warwick Castle has announced a brand-new live stunt show just in time for May half-term – Viking Raiders.

The family-friendly show tells the true origin story of Warwick Castle and the Viking and Anglo-Saxon battles in the Middle Ages across Mercia, as it was known at the time. 

Owner Merlin said Viking Raiders brings "fast-paced action" between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, "fearless stunts" (some of them on horseback) and "epic storytelling" performed by a cast of talented actors.

Guests can expect a "bold blend" of live performance, flaming arrows, pyrotechnics and "spectacle".

As well as stunts performed on four specially trained horses, explosive combat with sword fights, archery, cavalry charges and jaw-dropping battle scenes.

The show tells a powerful story centred on Aethelflaed, the 'Lady of the Mercians' – she was the eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, a brilliant strategist and ruler who helped shape the region's history.

Her story centres around Warwick Castle in its early conception, when it was just a simple 'burh' – an Anglo-Saxon fortified settlement.

Aethelflaed is at the heart of Warwick Castle's origin story, and she paved the way for the Castle's foundations on the banks of the River Avon.

advertisement

Viking Raiders begins its limited run on 23 May, with the final performance taking place on 17 July and is included in a daytime general admission ticket.

Select performances will also be delivered with BSL interpretation on 26 May.

Warwick Castle's show, Wars of the Roses: LIVE, will be returning on 18 July onwards.

Ben Kay, Warwick Castle's Resident Historian said: "Lady Aethelflaed is an important historical figure for Warwick Castle and one of the most powerful women in history.

"We are delighted to be honouring her in Viking Raiders.

"Staging this show near Aethelflaed's Mercian burh is extra special and makes the history feel immediate and alive – it isn't just something to be watched, it's a way for guests to experience the story right at the heart of the battle, cheering as the fate of Mercia hangs in the balance."