When I told my husband Douglas we were going to a theme park with no rides, he was visibly relieved. Thanks to motion sickness and vertigo, rollercoasters are not his thing.Unfortunately, I can’t get enough of them, while our three children are split: our two girls, aged five and six, fizz with excitement when rides are mentioned, though their three-year-old brother cries and clings to my legs.Throw in height restrictions that usually catch us out and rules demanding an adult rides with each child, and theme park days can be stressful.Not at Kynren – The Storied Lands. This new attraction, which opened earlier this month in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, is the UK’s first live-action show park – no rollercoasters, nor any pesky height restrictions.Our family visited before it officially opened and, although Douglas was delighted, I initially wondered if I would miss the thrill of being flung upside down and spun at speed.I didn’t wonder for long. Within minutes of arriving, we were watching knights charging on horseback across an alfresco 7.5-acre stage – about the size of five football pitches – as a dizzying array of fire-baton jugglers and acrobats performed.As the story unfolded, there were fast-paced horseback stunts that saw performers hanging from their saddles – and me holding my breath – as well as sword-fighting convincing enough to have the kids nervously asking, ‘Is this real?’This was The Trusty Steed, one of five shows at the new park. And it had the kids open-mouthed with awe from the get-go. I found myself rooting for the plucky young female warrior and cheering along as she hit the target in the jousting display, shattering her wooden lance. Helen Ochyra visits Kynren – The Storied Lands in Bishop Auckland, County Durham Kynren – The Storied Lands, is the the UK’s first live-action show parkIt is the sole daytime show to be performed at the Tribune, an 8,000-seat venue that has been the setting for the night-time shows entitled Kynren – An Epic Tale of England every summer now for the past ten years.Not only has this show won multiple awards, it has also, crucially, contributed £65.5million to the local economy, providing important jobs. Bishop Auckland is an ex-coal mining town and it has been down on its luck since collieries closed in the mid-20th century.The rest of our day was spent together – unusual for us at a theme park. At no point was a child refused entry for being too short. At no stage did Douglas turn green. Instead, we made our way around the other venues, following the ‘show schedule’ provided to visitors. Sitting on benches for Legend of the Wear, and facing a convincing construction of a 12th-century riverside village, we learned the legend of the Lambton Worm, a serpent-like creature said to reside in the River Wear.It was slightly tricky to follow, with performers frantically crossing the wide stage, climbing at speed up buildings and leaping into the water, but the kids were wowed by the water jets, which erupted to a rousing orchestral soundtrack featuring Northumbrian smallpipes.We were even more dazzled by the 2,500-seat Lost Feather arena, designed to look like an eagle’s nest and hosting a show featuring 250 birds. There were ravens, vultures, parrots and owls, although sadly the birds struggled to follow the script. The sea eagle flew off after only a brief appearance and there were several gaps where music played but no birds were seen (possibly just a teething problem).Our favourite daytime show was Land of the Vikings. Here we encountered booming drums, roaring fires and a longship broken in half. The kids were intrigued and full of questions, dazzled by the fight scenes. Helen and her children meeting a Viking outside of the Land of the Vikings show There are no rollercoasters – only fast-paced horseback stunts and sword-fightingOur day ended with the evening show, which crammed the last 2,000 years of English history into a spectacular 90-minute performance. Featuring a cast of 1,000 volunteers, it romped along from Boudicca to Shakespeare, King Arthur’s Round Table to the famous Christmas Day kickabouts of the First World War. There were flaming arrows fired in the Battle of Hastings, Viking ships torching a Saxon village, flocks of sheep and geese, and equestrian stunts that ran the gamut from jousting target practice to a performer being dragged along by a horse.Not only thrilling, it proved emotional too, the sky darkening around us as we watched dozens of men trudging off into a coal mine never to return.By the time Land of Hope and Glory was blasting out beneath fireworks and a vast Union Jack was being unfurled, I was practically weeping.Rollercoasters? I’d forgotten all about them. Travel facts Kynren – The Storied Lands is open Tuesday–Sunday until September 12; adult admission £30, £20 for children (under-threes free). Kynren – An Epic Tale of England runs every Saturday night until September 12 plus Friday, August 21 and Friday, September 4; tickets from £30pp (kynren.com). Stay at The Clarence, an elegant Edwardian house sleeping eight; from £518 for three nights, self-catering, for a family of four (aucklandproject.org).