Every year since 2012, when March comes around, one can find Nick Webb practicing his 15th century English accent.
As an active student in his school, Webb spends his time on the football team, plays tennis and is a trombone player in the jazz band, all while being a member of the National German Honor Society. But the Seneca High School student and resident of Shamong is also a character performer in the New Jersey Renaissance Faire, one of the most interactive Renaissance fairs in the country.
He is one of 60 cast members from all over the state to perform in the event. The crew starts developing their characters in early March to prepare for the festival in May and June.
Kings and queens along with dukes and duchesses are among the character roles in the event. The English Renaissance is usually associated with the rule of Queen Elizabeth, second daughter of King Henry VIII, in the 1500s, according to the faire’s website. The characters all speak with English dialects, or what Webb describes as “an old Shakespearian play.”
“I wasn’t great at it (the accent) my first year, but the rehearsal process is pretty intensive, so I’ve gotten much better at it as the years have gone on,” said Webb.
After auditions in late January, the cast members meet on location every Sunday starting in the beginning of March. They work through character-building, learn how to interact with families, practice stage combat fighting, perform shows, and of course, work on accents.Â
“Kids always like to hear the people’s accents, and it makes me happy to see them so happy,” said Webb.
Eight years ago, Webb and his family took their first trip to the faire. It was a new experience for all of them, and at first Webb was a little skeptical.
“I had never heard of anything like it, but once I got there I just loved everything about it,” said Webb.
This year, he’s playing the character of Thomas Swift, captain of the Dukes Guard. Webb likes to change his role when the new year comes around. The last few years, he had a role that involved stage combat fighting. As a young kid, during his first few festivals as a cast member, he played a skillful pickpocketing orphan.
He explains that a character performer is a unique type of acting, in which he has to make sure he stays in his role for the entire event. A majority of his role involves interacting with families and guests, but for the most part, he’s there to have fun.
“It’s a different type of acting because it’s not memorizing lines and getting on stage, it’s getting into a character for a full eight-hour day and really being that character and interacting with people as that character would.”
The faire will celebrate its 10th season this summer in the grounds of Liberty
Lake, located in Bordentown, on Saturdays and Sundays from May 18 to 19, May 25 to 26 and June 1 to 2. The park will transform into a fantasy world entitled Crossford. Guests can even rep their “Game of Thrones” house flag. The event begins each day at 11 a.m. and continues to 6 p.m.
