Josh Ballard[]
Josh Ballard is an actor, singer, and fight choreographer based in Chicago, Illinois. The joined the Bristol Renaissance Faire Fight Cast, known as By the Sword (Bristol), in 2008, and has been working at the Faire ever since.
Performance History[]
2008 Season[]
Josh Ballard joined the cast of Bristol in the summer of 2008, working in the Fight Cast. Under the direction of Ron Scot Fry, Josh portrayed the villain Magnus Blount, the enforcer to the Lord High Sheriff Barnabus Blayde. While Magnus was the "muscle" of the Sheriff's crew, he tended to end the day as a more lighthearted fellow, frequently joining up with the Bristol Buskin Frolic.
2009 Season[]
Josh returned for the 2009 season, reprising his role as enforcer Magnus Blount. Under the direction of Gregory M. Larson, the Fight Cast took a more serious turn that year, meaning that any joviality that came with Blount was removed, making for a much more hard-nosed and angry enforcer. Sheriff Blayde was killed at the end of the 2009 season, making this the last season that a Sheriff character was the villain.
Slab Vanderhuge[]
During the 2009 season, Josh began to spend his time after the final show of the day portraying a different character: Slab Vanderhuge. Slab was the apprentice to the The Swordsmen, Dirk Perfect and Guido Crescendo. He spent the late afternoons doing his best to learn to be a Bold and Stupid man.
2010 Season[]
With the Sheriff defeated and gone for good, it was time for a new villain to appear: James Alday, Captain of the Trinity Gilbert. Josh returned once again, this time taking on the character of Andrew Barker, Boatswain of the Trinity Gilbert. As Barker, Josh was able to return to his roots of a "muscle" character, but with a bit of goofiness to him. Barker served as a merging of character types from Josh's previous 2 seasons: brutal and viscous, but smiling the whole time.
Return of Slab[]
As in the 2009 season, Josh would spend several of his late afternoons, taking up the mantle of Slab Vanderhuge, apprentice to The Swordsmen. It was during this season that he was even able to appear on stage during the The Swordsmen's early evening show. Josh appeared dressed as Slab, but portrayed a young Guido Crescendo, performing in a scene that depicted how Dirk and Guido first met.
2011 Season[]
For the majority of the 2011 season, Josh was not a member of the Fight Cast. Instead, he accepted the role of Understudy for The Swordsmen. He spent his days performing in the streets as Slab Vanderhuge, this time moving up to "Master Apprentice". Josh, as Slab, would help to gather crowds for The Swordsmen's shows.
Return to Fight Cast[]
Due to an unexpected departure of a cast member of By the Sword, Josh was asked to return for the final two weekends of the 2011 season. After clearing it with The Swordsmen to ensure he wouldn't be shirking his other responsibilities, Josh happily returned to the Fight Cast, portraying Andrew Barker for a second time.
2012 Season[]
After 4 seasons portraying a villain with By the Sword, Josh was granted his first chance to become a "good guy". Josh joined the ranks of Robin Hood's Merry Men, taking on the character of John Little, Robin's best friend and right hand man.
This season marked two changes for the Fight Cast: A return to the stage for end of day performances, and a change of villain. Played by Anthony Camera, The Lord Chief Justice Edmund Anderson became the foil to Robin Hood. As this was the final season of the Robin Hood scenario, the final stage show ended with the Queen granting Robin his retirement, and sending the Merry Men off to a life of vacation and relaxation.
2013 Season[]
The 2013 season was the biggest season for Josh to date. With the Robin Hood scenario over, 2013 marked the start of a new scenario, a return to The Seadogs as the heroes of Bristol. Josh was cast as Thomas Hart, Captain of the Lady Anne's Triumph. This season marked Josh's first time playing the main hero of the cast, and his second season playing an heroic character. Josh also gained added responsibility, taking on the roll of Fight Captain for the Fight Cast.
This run as lead hero lasted for just one season, though, as Captain Hart retired after one season, having achieved all he wanted to...a second term wasn't needed.
This season also marked the last season By the Sword was under the direction of Gregory M Larson.
2014 Season[]
The Seadog scenario continued into the 2014 season, with By the Sword now under the direction of Kate Booth. Now focused around Captain Walter Raleigh, played by Drew Mierzejewski, the 2014 season's theme was mutiny. Josh played Nathaniel Briggs, which marked a return to a villainous role as Briggs was a mutineer under the former First Mate to Raleigh, Charles Bishop. But the villainous turn was not 100%, as Briggs was bound to Bishop via a life debt. Josh would end each day as a combatant role for By the Sword with the death of Briggs at the hands of Bishop, for not following Bishop's orders to kill Briggs' former crewmate, Molly Riggins
Here Comes Skippy[]
With his combatant character, Briggs, dying before the final scene of the day, this left Josh with a few hours left to perform each day by switching to a new character. This was the catalyst for the creation of Skippy, the Accidental Adventurer. Josh would close out each day of the 2014 season as Skippy, travelling around the town of Bristol, regaling patrons with the stories of his accidental, and not quite true, adventures.
As Skippy, Josh would also perform alongside At Your Service, Bristol's Commedia Dell'Arte troupe.
2015 Season[]
2015 continued with Raleigh as the main hero, and Josh switched back to playing a good guy. Walter Long, historical best friend to Walter Raleigh, was Josh's character that year, allowing Josh to play a similar dynamic that he did during the 2012 season.
This season focused on villain Sir Edmund Rooke trying to oust Raleigh from the Queen's favor, and insert himself in a higher position of power. Rooke employed the Asheworth Cadre, a collection of hometown villains from Bristol itself.
Unfortunately, the audience was only treated to one season to the antics of Raleigh and Long, as 2015 marked the end of the Seadog scenario...for now
2015 also marked the end of the directorial run of Kate Booth for By the Sword.
2016 Season[]
Josh is set to return to Bristol once more as part of By the Sword for the 2016 season.