York Mystery Plays and the YMPST
Keeping the story alive
Supporting and maintaining the community tradition of the Mystery Plays in the city of York.
The History of
York Mystery Plays
The York Mystery Plays are a cycle of 48 pageants (individual plays) covering biblical events from Creation to the Last Judgement. Other Mystery Play cycles exist but York stands out as having the most complete.
Forthcoming York Mystery
Plays Productions
The next major production – Resurrection for York – is on 3 & 4 July this year in Residents’ Gardens, Dean’s Park., York. This is a joint, outdoor, production between the Trust, York Festival Trust and York Minster. It will be staged on two wagons in an enclosed area in order to meet current national guidelines.
YMPST Mystery
Plays Productions
The Trust staged the first of its own productions , the Entry to Jerusalem directed by Simon Tompsett , as part of the Wagon Play pageant of 2014. In 2018, again took part in the Waggon Play cycle with the Harrowing of Hell, directed by Ben Prusiner.
A Resurrection for York
Live theatre is back in July with a production from the York Mystery Plays cycle
We are bringing an outdoor production from York’s Mystery Play cycle to the city on 3 and 4 July 2021. Philip Parr is directing a cast of community actors and musicians in an hour-long production, which looks at the experience of people after the crucifixion of Christ. The production moves us from an experience of terror and suffering to one of hope of a brighter future and reflects the feelings of a society affected by the pandemic. Hope is the key theme.
The play takes place in the Residents’ Gardens adjoining Dean’s Park at York Minster and is the result of a three-way partnership between York Festival Trust, York Minster and York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust.
Tickets and things you might need to know!
- You can buy your ticket by following this link to Ticketsource
- It is an outdoor production with no seating provided – but bring your own chair or rug if you wish to sit.
- It costs £5 and there will be no refund for cancellation due to bad weather.
- There is no charge for Pre-school age children or for carers accompanying wheelchair users.
- No refreshments or toilets are available on site. The nearest public toilet is in Exhibition Square.
- The nearest parking is at St Johns, Lord Mayor’s Walk:
- You can be dropped off by car at the entrance to Deans Park and there is parking for blue badge holders in Duncombe Place.
- The production will be operating within the Government’s Covid 19 guidelines current at the time.
The York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust
YMPST was set up after the 2012 York Mystery Plays in Museum Gardens. We are a charitable incorporated organisation which exists to advance the education of the public in the medieval Mystery Plays of York.
The YMPST
Find out more about the YMPST, its goals and what it has achieved so far.
Join the YMPST
Discover the benefits of membership and how you can join the YMPST.
YMPST Mailing List
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