In accordance with tradition, the York Mystery Plays 2016 opened on the feast day of Corpus Christi, 26 May.

Since the 1300s, the York Mystery Plays have entertained residents and visitors to the city, bringing to life the greatest story ever told. For only the second time in their near 700-year history, the Plays have returned to York Minster for a breathtaking production in the city's most iconic building.

The medieval Minster’s magnificent Nave has been transformed into a 1,000 seater auditorium for the production, and will host 41 performances for the next five weeks until Thursday 30 June. In keeping with tradition, hundreds of community performers are working with one professional actor, supported by an army of backstage volunteers to create a unique spectacle, celebrating the city’s cultural heritage.

On the opening day of the production, the Archbishop of York blessed the stage and met with the organising team and cast.

The production aims to provoke tears and laughter and be an intensely moving experience, but above all it’s a once in a generation opportunity to see the wonderful stories from the Bible brought to life in the beautiful York Minster.

Buy your tickets today here: www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/tickets.

Thank you to Duncan Lomax from Ravage Productions for sharing these wonderful photos with us! To see more, visit our Facebook page.