We had the pleasure of catching up with Christina Lewis, the brilliant Scriptwriter behind Mischief at the Mansion. Her imaginative storytelling is the heartbeat of this year’s enchanting Christmas experience. From mischievous characters to magical moments, Christina’s words bring the festive world to life.

In this interview, she shares a glimpse into her creative process, the inspiration behind the story, and what it’s like weaving wonder and mischief into the halls of Harewood.

Hello Chrissie, please could you start by introducing yourself and your relationship to Studio McGuire?

I’m Chrissie and I’m a scriptwriter.

I first met Davy and Kristin when we were both working on Hull 2017 UK City of Culture. I was working on a project called The Land of Green Ginger for which they created Micropolis – a stunning miniature city in an old Hull pumping station.

I was also working on another script at the time, which they read and liked – we then worked together on the inaugural Harewood event A Night at the Mansion, Speci/men, which went to Belfast University in 2020, and Sirens which was produced by Absolutely Cultured in 2021.

Writing’s such a lonely process that it’s just a joy to work with people who are so creative with such a strong vision and aesthetic; you just know they’re going to make everything look and feel gorgeous and special.

What inspired the storyline for Mischief at the Mansion, and how did you start crafting the narrative?

I think the best experiences are always those that work on different levels – you ideally want to create something that children are totally enchanted by, with some of the more grown-up stuff going over their heads while the adults smile knowingly.

I think Mischief at the Mansion does that beautifully, right from the opening when you walk into this breathtaking music room with the painted ceiling and then you’ve got angels running amok on the piano using it as a trampoline! Who doesn’t want to see the house in total confusion over some cheeky escapee angels? It also gives that light-touch conflict that’s so important in storytelling – we need something for the other characters to complain, laugh, wonder and unite in annoyance about. The angels tie the narrative together, so there’s always that thread to follow as you explore the whole experience.

Davy and Kristin always have a strong idea about what they want before we start chatting – the process usually starts with them coming to me with their vision, and, because not all the rooms have script, we have to be really strategic about where the dialogue fits. After an initial chat about first ideas, I then have a research visit to Harewood where I can look at the rooms, walk around, talk to the team and listen to their ideas. They’re so incredibly knowledgeable and always have some amazing snippets of information that end up being woven into the narrative.

I think it really works for families because if you’re not listening to every word of the script, you’re marvelling at baubles and plates chattering and arguing, watching flowers bloom, or a wedding dress come to life with gorgeous lights and colours – there’s literally something for everyone to enjoy.

What was the collaborative process like with the Harewood team?

The Harewood team are amazing! They’re so passionate about the house and know so much about the history and objects in the collections – I have to give a special shout out to Curator and Archivist Rebecca Burton and Head of Public Engagement Zoë Hughes, who were so helpful taking time out to chat to me, recommending books and websites for research and answering A LOT of questions over email.

I really love the research visits because I get to take in the whole atmosphere of Harewood, and having something with you who can say “This is where Queen Victoria slept” or “do you want to look at some watercolours by Charlotte Canning?” is such a privilege. These are the kind of conversations that lead to the story becoming richer and more nuanced.

Sometimes it can lead to a whole scene – like in the Spanish library between George Canning and Queen Victoria – or sometimes a half day of research will be summed up in a couple of short lines of dialogue like the plates in the dining room discussing the Queen Marie Antoinette tea service, which is obviously a huge story condensed into a really short chat. I try and strike a balance of general chatter between characters and really leaning into the fascinating history of the house.

From first chats to sending the final draft of the script, it’s a really lovely collaborative process where we share the script back and forth until we get the right balance of humour, historical accuracy and what’s technically possible.

Mary: Did you hear the cakes on the way up? That big pink one’s a bit full of herself.

Harry: Don’t be fooled, it’s all hot air. They’re a bag of nerves really, just sitting there, waiting to make their big entrance and be picked over and chosen – or not. Do you remember that time Lady Louisa sent a blancmange back Below Stairs because it had too much wobble? Poor thing never recovered.

Barry: The Queen Marie Antoinette tea service was laughing for days! I could hear the saucers tittering from downstairs.

Terry: Must be nice for them to laugh after what they’ve been through, poor things.

Can you tell us about some of the mischievous characters we’ll meet during the experience?

All I can say is – keep your eyes peeled for some very cheeky little angels who keep popping up where they shouldn’t! They’ve escaped from the Christmas tree in the Long Gallery – much to the consternation of the singing, chattering baubles who were their decorative neighbours – and they’re currently engaged in annoying everyone they can as they zoom round the house causing festive mayhem.

All the scenes were incredibly fun to write, but I do have a soft spot for the baubles and the cakes – especially the cheeky Lemon Cake and rather droll and no-nonsense Victoria Sponge. I feel really at home in the Below Stairs areas – that’s definitely where I would have been 100 years ago! – and there’s something very intimate and a little bit sad about seeing all these incredible cakes preparing to be whisked upstairs to their ultimate destiny.

Lemon: (coughs) I hate to interrupt this chat, But the time has nearly come – Who’ll still be here in half an hour, and who’ll be just a crumb…?

Black Forest: Ah, it’s an emotional day. Everyone’s in tiers. Tiers! Geddit?

Cake 1: Deep breaths everyone! DEEP BREATHS!

Cake 2: It’ll be fine. My cake, cake, cake grandmother sunk in the middle and got left out for the starlings. Can’t be worse thanthat, surely?

Finally, how do you hope visitors feel or react as they experience Mischief at the Mansion?

I just really hope it brings a bit of Christmas magic. Word of advice though; check your pockets and bags, because the angels are always looking for new homes to cause mischief in…

Mischief at the Mansion is open until Sunday 5 January 2025
Are you ready for some magic?

Margaret Wilson, Visitor Experience Team Member, Harewood House Trust

I trained in Art & Design then specialised in Textiles about 40 plus years ago in Manchester. I worked for a number of years, did some freelance work then became interested in Art Therapy after seeing an exhibition of Art & Crafts made by prisoners and people with learning disabilities.

I retrained to become a teacher and started working with adults with learning disabilities and it just went on from there to working at an organisation called Converge based at York St. John University.

Converge offer creative courses to adults recovering from mental illness and is run in partnership with the Occupational Therapy course.

Creative courses include Art, Crafts, Creative Writing, Drama, Music, Gardening and Dance to name a few.

What role do you think art and crafts play in promoting mental well-being?

Creativity in any form helps promote mental well-being. It can alleviate depression, stress and anxiety. It can help take the focus away from negative thoughts and improves brain productivity.

At Converge people were able to develop new skills in a supportive educational environment. The freedom to be creative, challenge yourself and discover new abilities was highly encouraged. As many people were also isolated the social connection with other people on courses was highly important to their mental well-being.

Artwork courtesy Margaret Wilson

Can you tell me about one of your favourite projects and why it holds a special place for you?

A project I was involved with recently at Converge was about “Belonging.” It brought up a lot of thoughts and discussion about what this means to different people. We used art journaling as a way to express this individually and it is a particular favourite method of mine because it is quick and spontaneous.

I have experienced traumatic events in my own life and during those times found doing art journaling and crafts a way to deal with my emotions and relive the stress I was under.

In my craft work I enjoy using left over pieces of wrapping paper, magazines, wall paper, buttons, garden wire, wood pieces and wool. It’s a challenge to turn these items into something new!

Artwork courtesy Margaret Wilson

What is your favourite Harewood spot?

Whilst I really enjoy volunteering on the State Floor, my favourite room is the old kitchen with all the lovely old copper pans and moulds.

I love this room because this is where a lot of hard work took place. The deep marks on the central table are evidence of this.

My great grandmother was in service and worked as a kitchen maid so that’s why I can relate to it. I wonder if it’s ancestral voices!

Arabeschi Di Latte, Social Kitchen in the Old Kitchen, Drew Forsyth

The surface of the table in the centre of the Old Kitchen dates to when the House was first built.

It is made of beechwood and it is still possible to see the scars of over 250 years of use.

Today, it’s being used to showcase Arabeschi Di Latte, Social Kitchen for Create/Elevate.

A series of ceramic sharing dishes created in collaboration with ceramicist Jo Woffinden, the pieces are hand built using stoneware clay with a blue slip finish. The surface colour is reminiscent of sugar paper, a reference to the source of Harewood’s historic wealth from sugar plantations. 

Entry to Harewood Biennial 2024: Create/Elevate is included with admission to Harewood.

Harewood Biennial 2024: Create/Elevate celebrates the power of craft to inspire and bring people together to imagine new worlds. It introduces the work of sixteen British and international artists, designers and collectives, including four new commissions, which are presented across Harewood House and its Gardens.

As part of Biennial season, we’d also like to share the hidden craft stories of Harewood and take a look into the vibrant world of art and craft through the eyes of our dedicated staff, volunteers and Members.

Each individual we feature is a testament to the transformative power of creativity and the positive impact it can have on our lives and communities.

Through their stories, we hope to inspire you to find your own creative spark.

Craft Feature #1: Julie Cross

Julie is an award-winning artist living in Yorkshire, and a member of our Visitor Experience team. She is a figurative, expressionist painter who focuses upon female figures and faces to highlight some of the essentials of human existence.

We are overwhelmed by her talent and wanted to share how her creative journey began – it’s a surprising story!

Craft Feature #2: Margaret Wilson

With over 40 years of experience in Art & Design, specialising in Textiles, Visitor Experience team member Margaret Wilson reflects on her career teaching adults with learning disabilities and the positive impact creativity can have on mental wellbeing.

Craft Feature #3: Angela Leathley

Whilst volunteering at Gayle Mill, in Wensleydale, Angela discovered hand made felting which in turn led to rug making.

Angela’s main material is second-hand wool coats, primarily sourced from charity shops. Taking great joy in transforming something practical and serviceable into a re-purposed item of beauty, Angela is sure to maintain its practical function.

Julie Cross, Visitor Experience Team Member, Harewood House Trust

Julie is a dynamic figurative, expressionist painter who brings the essence of human existence to life through her vivid depictions of female figures and faces.

Drawing inspiration from Joshua Reynolds’ iconic portrait of Lady Worsley, Julie has crafted a mesmerizing series of her own unique interpretations, reimagining Harewood’s legendary lady with her signature flair.

We’re overwhelmed by Julie’s talent and would like share how her creative journey began – it’s a surprising story!

Lady Worsley sketches by Julie Cross

How I got into painting . . . it’s not got any of that ‘romantic’ discovering a latent talent or anything like that, I’m afraid! As a kid, I was big into horses and reading, so not really arty at all, and nor were my family. As an adult, however, I was once asked at a dinner party what talent/ability I’d love to have, and I said it must be lovely to be able to paint and draw. My good old mum remembered me saying this and for my 40^th birthday, she wanted to get something special. I got 10 presents, and I must admit, I was a bit nonplussed when I opened the first and it was just a simple pencil! It went on – a brush, then some watercolour paints etc –  until the 10^th and final one which was a voucher for a watercolour workshop retreat! I had absolutely no intention of going, though I was deeply touched by the gesture. However, as a break from my arduous PhD studies whilst bringing up two kids, I ended up taking the course. But my mum had made a mistake and hadn’t got me a beginners’ course. It was straight out into the field with a load of experienced artists, painting from life! Talk about a baptism of fire! Anyway, I was absolutely hooked . . .

I taught myself from books and videos mainly, as well as taking workshops, and before I knew it, I ended up running and chairing a national art society, the Association of Animal Artists! I couldn’t resist my love of painting people and figures, though, so now that’s what I paint, and I moved to the medium of oil paint (much easier to paint skin and make changes with oil paint!).  The human animal is endlessly fascinating to me!

As to what the creative process makes me feel . . . I think I’ve always had a good imagination and I love to try new things, so creativity has always been part of me, just not through the medium of paint. Now, I couldn’t imagine my life without art. I paint and draw every day, and although I do paint things for specific purposes, I love to express my own thoughts and paint for myself.  The feeling you get when ‘lost’ in painting, alone in your studio in that flow state, fully immersed, with a total lack of self consciousness, when the grasp of time just slips away . . . bliss. It’s not always relaxing, of course, which is a common thing people say to you, as the problems you have to solve in painting are many, but it takes you away from your ‘real’ life into a different realm. In that respect, it’s all about the process, not the end product.

Lady Worsley courtesy of Julie Cross

Creativity is boundless – you never ‘use it all up’. Creating one thing stimulates you and leads onto others. Yes, creative work necessarily builds on what has gone before, so in that way there is nothing new under the sun.  But what YOU bring to it makes it unique.  We all have our own individual memories, experiences, doubts, fears, skillsets, and that’s what makes our creations original. You just have to let go and be yourself.  You use your personal image bank and processes, together with your unique stylistic flourishes.

Everyone who works at Harewood could paint or draw, or even trace, Lady Worsley in that pose of Joshua Reynolds, and every single one would be different.  That’s what I love about art. Endless variety and the innate human desire to express oneself and make a mark.

Lady Worsley courtesy of Julie Cross

The original portrait of Lady Worsley, by Joshua Reynolds, can be found in the Cinnamon Drawing Room above Harewood Biennial artist Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s sculpture.

Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s You will find Lagos in the United Kingdom Living is a site-specific sculpture inspired by natural forms and the flight routes between the UK and Lagos in Nigeria, where she lives.

Alluding to stories of transnational relationships and generations of people journeying across lands and seas, the titles of Ogunbiyi’s works are conceived as declarative prayers, each beginning with ‘You will’.

Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s You will find Lagos in the United Kingdom Living, Drew Forsyth

View more of Julie’s work on her website – juliecross.me

Follow Julie on instagram – @juliecrossart