''Regency House Party'' is a

historical reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational entertainment, educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspect ...

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

program made by Wall to Wall/

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

in 2004. Narrated by Richard E. Grant, the

Regency reenactment Regency reenactment is historical reenactment of the British Regency period. Groups portray the period from 1811 to 1820 through costume, manners, food, and social gatherings that celebrate the spirit of the era. Groups often include a mix of Ja ...

is the fourth in a series of historical reality programs produced by Channel 4, preceded by ''

The 1900 House ''The 1900 House'' is a historical reenactment reality television series made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 1999. The program features a modern family attempting to live in the way of the late Victorians for three months in a modified house. It w ...

'', ''

The 1940s House ''The 1940s House'' is a British historical reenactment reality television series made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 2001 about a modern family that tries to live as a typical middle-class family in London during The Blitz of World War II.Cooper, ...

'', and ''

The Edwardian Country House ''The Edwardian Country House'' is a British historical reenactment reality television miniseries produced by Channel 4. First aired weekly in the UK beginning in April 2002, it was later broadcast in the United States on PBS stations as ''Man ...

''. The series has a group of unmarried men and women, accompanied by their older female chaperones, assuming the identities of

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

-era individuals from the year 1811. Participants received instruction in the

upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper class is gen ...

courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

rituals of the time and were charged with seeking out a suitable marriage within the group. The assigned identities range from titled

aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At t ...

and other wealthy members of society to

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...

social climbers. One woman is assigned the role of the ladies' assistant and is thus excluded, according to the conventions of the times, from many of the social activities in the house. The series was filmed at

Kentchurch Court Kentchurch Court is a Grade I listed stately home east from the village of Kentchurch in Herefordshire, England. History It is the family home of the Scudamore family. Family members included Sir John Scudamore, who acted as constable and ...

, a

grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

stately home An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Many of the costumes had previously been used in the then-recent adaptations of ''Pride and Prejudice'', ''Sense and Sensibility'', ''Emma'' and ''Vanity Fair''.

Cast

Men *Mr.

Chris Gorell Barnes Christopher Michael Jack Gorell Barnes (born May 1974) is an English digital entrepreneur and marine conservationist best known as executive producer of the documentary ''The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Ea ...

- advertising producer who is given the role of Host and Master of Kentchurch Court *Mr. John Everett - stage manager who is given the role of a wealthy businessman, the second highest ranking male in the house. *"Captain" Jeremy Glover - former dotcom millionaire who is given the role of a Regency naval captain and initially the third highest ranking male. Glover is a descendant of

Henry Blackwood Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Blackwood, 1st Baronet, GCH, KCB (28 December 1770 – 17 December 1832), whose memorial is in Killyleagh Parish Church, was a British sailor. Early life Blackwood was the fourth son of Sir John Blackwood, 2nd Baronet, ...

who in 1811 was a naval captain and was made a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

during the Regency. During the series "Captain" Glover is awarded a large sum of money for capturing a

prize of war A prize of war is a piece of enemy property or land seized by a belligerent party during or after a war or battle, typically at sea. This term was used nearly exclusively in terms of captured ships during the 18th and 19th centuries. Basis in inte ...

and attains a baronetcy. With wealth and title "Sir Jeremy" becomes the highest ranking male. *"Captain" Paul Robinson - celebrity hair dresser who given the role of

gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...

soldier who has purchased his commission, the fourth highest ranking male. He left half way through the series as he felt he did not fit in. *Mr. Mark Foxsmith - a high school science teacher who is given the role of a clergyman, the lowest ranking male. He fell in love with Lady Devonport, 25 years his senior, and they continued a relationship after the series. Women *Countess Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Griaznov - a barmaid who holds the title Countess Griaznov from

Russian nobility The Russian nobility (russian: дворянство ''dvoryanstvo'') originated in the 14th century. In 1914 it consisted of approximately 1,900,000 members (about 1.1% of the population) in the Russian Empire. Up until the February Revolution ...

(but does not use it in real life) is the highest ranking female. She is given the role of a Russian countess who is now penniless. *Miss Victoria Hopkins - a rich sales and marketing executive who is given the role of a rich industrial heiress, the second highest female ranking. *Miss Lisa Braund - a receptionist who is given the role of the daughter of an impoverished aristocrat, the third ranked female. *Miss Hayley Conick - trainee headhunter who is given the role of the daughter of gentleman with no financial means but with "other talents", the fourth ranked female. *Miss Francesca Martin - given the lowest rank of the eligible females, lady's companion to Mrs Rogers. Chaperones *Mrs Fiona Rogers - former society model who is given the role as the House Hostess and chaperone of the Countess *Lady Elizabeth Devonport - real-life aristocrat, the chaperone of Miss Hopkins. She fell in love with Mark Foxsmith and they continued a relationship after the series. *Mrs Rosie Hammond - self-made millionaire, the chaperone of Miss Braund *Mrs Rosemary Enright - former military officer and romantic novelist, the chaperone of Miss Conick Guests * Miss Tanya Samuel - a television producer playing the role of a wealthy

West Indian A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...

heiress and

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

. The highest ranking female guest. *

Kim Newman Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula (1931 ...

, an author invited to give the party guests a

Gothic horror Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of ea ...

experience * James Carrington, a musician playing the role of a gentleman musician and

Dilettanti {{Short pages monitor