Discover the centuries old York Mystery Plays – in the breath-taking setting of York Minster

9 June 2016, 12:15 | Updated: 15 December 2016, 11:50

Nicola Corp is one of the producers on this year’s York Mystery Plays – a theatrical tradition that stretches back to the 1300s. We asked her what audiences can expect from this year’s production, being staged in York Minster until 30th June.

The York Mystery Plays are a set of bite-sized plays which tell the story of the Bible – from the creation of the world and Noah’s Ark, to the Nativity and Crucifixion.

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Historically, each play was staged by a different guild of the city – appropriately enough it was generally the carpenters who took on Noah’s Ark and more gruesomely, the butchers who staged the crucifixion.

This year, the plays are being staged in York Minster until 30th June.

Here's a picture of the cast and crew with the Archbishop of York:

So, what are the York Mystery Plays?

What makes them special?

For a start, they are quintessentially Yorkshire…

They tell the story of The Bible – but that makes them sound far more serious than they are…

These are retellings of the Old and New Testament designed to grab the attention of a rowdy medieval audience.

What’s the history of the plays?

They may have been first staged in the 1300s, but they disappeared from York with the Reformation.

What would you say to someone who’s never seen the plays before?

The York Mystery Plays are on in York Minster until 30th June. For more information visit the website.