odern
performances
still
involve
a
wide
cross-section
of
the
population,
including
professional
and
amateur
actors,
musicians
and
technicians,
community
organisations
and
schools
groups. The
Chester
Mysteries
are
performed
every
five
years,
traditionally over
the
course
of
three
consecutive
evenings.
They
attract
audiences
from
all
over
the
world
and
are
an
experience
not
to
be
missed.
The
1992
performances
took
place
in the open air on
Chester
Cathedral
Green
in
the
shadow
of
the
ancient
City
Walls
but
the
2000
cycle
of
plays
restored
the
ancient
practice
of
performing
from
the
back
of
a
'pageant
wagon'
and
took
place
at
the
High Cross
and
Town
Hall
Square.
Unlike
the
1992
cycle,
all
the
performances, in the spirit of the originals,
were
free. The
director,
Nicolas
Fry,
said,
"I
am
thrilled
to
be
staging
the
plays
in
a
way
that
echoes
so
beautifully
the
medieval
tradition".
In 2008, the plays returned to Cathedral Green and admission charges were once more imposed, sadly excluding many less well-off local people. This applied also to the most recent performances of the Chester Mysteries, which took place 26th June to 13th July 2013 in the nave of the Cathedral.
Here is the official Chester Mystery Plays website. The
photo
library
at
the Black
&
White
Picture
Place contains
a
comprehensive
photographic
record
of
the
1992
cycle
of
plays,
all
available
as
beautiful
handmade
prints.
You may be interested in seeing these two views from the 1967 Chester Mystery Plays...