We caught up with Former Pupil, James Waine, from the Class of 2024, to talk about Kynren, his early theme-park dreams, and his studies at Cambridge.

It was wonderful to hear from James about his jam-packed summer working with Kynren in Bishop Auckland. Kynren, An Epic Tale of England, launched in 2016, is a live night-time show that depicts key moments from British history and legend spanning approximately 2,000 years.

James first became involved with Kynren as a volunteer when he was at school. He was one of around 1,000 volunteers needed to put on this phenomenal production, all coming together to bring the night show to life.

James shared the background and origins of the show, which is based on a French concept designed to help regenerate Bishop Auckland, originally a colliery mining town, as a tourist destination. The project was backed and funded by philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, and the night show is produced by 11Arches, a registered charity.

James loved volunteering and being part of the community at Kynren. Over time, his role expanded, and he is now employed as Technical and Operations Coordinator. Although he started as part of such a large community of volunteers, the core team of employees remains relatively small. James is now working on a wide variety of elements featured in both the night show and the day park, which opened in summer 2026. James, has recently had the opportunity to work on the largest bird show in the UK, and fourth-largest in the world, which takes place at Kynren. The show features over 250 birds in total, including both tropical species and birds of prey. 

James is immensely enthusiastic about the range of projects he is involved in and appreciates that his role is constantly evolving as the park develops. Having been a central part of his life for so many years, the work continually challenges him, and he loves the community atmosphere that Kynren offers.

This role has fulfilled one of James’s early dreams: working in a theme park. His journey started early when, as a pupil at Yarm Prep School, he won a competition in 2017 to design the Legoland resort's new knight- and wizard-themed Castle Hotel. He remembers standing in assembly encouraging friends to vote for his design. James was delighted to be selected, attending the opening of the hotel to see his statue, "Sir Bricks-a-Lot," come to life.

This experience cemented his career goals, so when he heard about Kynren, he couldn’t wait to get involved. James even used Kynren as the focus of his A-Level Geography project on the regeneration of Bishop Auckland. Now, just 10 years later, he has fulfilled that dream of working in theme park development.

James is currently balancing his work alongside his studies at the University of Cambridge, where he is in his third year reading Engineering at Downing College. Throwing himself into all aspects of university life, he established the undergraduate arm of the Society for Locomotive Engineers and currently serves as President of the Downing May Ball - a major social event catering to around 2,500 people to celebrate the end of the academic year. Used to a busy pace of life after making the most of every co-curricular opportunity at Yarm School, James was well-prepared for university life and can't imagine being anywhere else.

Kynren has recognized James’s potential and has been pleased to support him through his studies at the University of Cambridge while he continues his summer role with the show.

We look forward to hearing about the latest developments as Kynren continues to grow, and following James and his exciting career in the coming years!