THE Lord Mayor of Chester, Councillor Pam Booher, will officially approve the performance of the 2013 Chester Mystery Plays in a medieval ceremony in the city on Saturday, May 11.
Actors from the company as shepherds will process from Eastgate Street to Chester Town Hall Square, via Northgate Street, to request permission from the Lord Mayor to perform the medieval plays at Chester Cathedral in June and July.
This tradition, which dates to the early 15th century, is known as Reading the Banns and will begin at approximately 11.45am in Eastgate Street. Children from local schools will play the shepherd’s sheep during the short performance.
Chairman of Chester Mystery Plays Jo Sykes said: “The tradition of Reading the Banns was carried out in medieval Chester to alert the masses to the performance of the plays. Records show that the Town Crier would announce the plays and encourage the company to perform well.
“Even in these days of Twitter and Facebook, it feels right to proclaim to the people of Chester that the plays are on as they are only performed once every five years.”
The Chester Mystery Plays are based on the Bible stories and were originally written by Benedictine monks at the Abbey of St Werbugh (now Chester Cathedral). They were performed in the streets of Chester by the city’s Freemen and Guildsmen.
The 2013 production has a company of more than 300 community actors, musicians and singers and is directed by Peter Leslie Wild. A new script, written by Stephanie Dale has been commissioned for this production and original music is composed by Matt Baker.
This is the first time that the plays have been performed in the nave of Chester Cathedral and the set will be designed by Judith Croft.
