Shiver Me Timbers: Pirates on Page, Stage and Screen
25 May 2017 – 18 February 2018
Shiver Me Timbers: Pirates on Page, Stage and Screen anchored at The Word for 9 months between 2017-2018. The swashbuckling exhibition featured some of the most iconic fictional pirates of all time casting all the way back to 1719 when English novelist Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe; to the 20th century fictional pirates in literature (which were later turned into films), including Sea Hawk and Captain Blood; as well as those in famous stage-plays from Peter Pan to Pirates of Penzance.
Not forgetting, of course, the contemporary pirate stories such as The Piratica Series and the hugely popular film franchise Pirates of the Caribbean.
The exhibition also featured the famous Captain Pugwash and included the first Captain Pugwash dummy, some of the original cardboard artwork pieces and a showreel of clips from the show. These special pieces were loaned to us by Isabel Ryan, the daughter of the man who created Captain Pugwash, John Ryan, who also visited The Word for the opening of the exhibition as well as to give a talk about the history of the infamous animated pirate.
Visitors could discover how fictional characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow and Peter Pan were brought to life on screen and step into the world of real piracy and read about two well-known female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
The exhibition also included replicas of the most notorious pirate costumes including, Blackbeard, Long John Silver, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Captain Hook, as well as a huge Galleon where you could step inside and watch a short film telling you everything you need to know about life on board a ship.
There was also a model treasure island where visitors could play on games as well as opportunities to try your hand at tying knots or dressing up as a pirate.
You can now enjoy our Shiver Me Timbers exhibition online:
