The Gunpowder Plot, the Tower of London, and Tracy Borman

The Tower of London is hosting an immersive experience that combines live performance and digital technology to explore the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to kill the King and Parliament. Audiences get to decide whose side they are on as they encounter the world the plotters inhabited. In this film, historian Tracy Borman, joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, tells us about the Gunpowder Plot experience, its place at the Tower of London and the research and creative work behind the show. Tracy offers us a history of the Tower itself, from its early purpose to ‘subdue the evil inhabitants of London’ for William the Conquerer, to its emergence as a tourist attraction and its later Victorian revamps. Finally, we hear about Tracy’s own extensive publishing career, her 15 books ranging across fiction and non-fiction, with a focus on the cultural impact of the British monarchy.