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EnglishHow to Get Involved with or Support Chester Mystery Plays
Updated
You can get involved with Chester Mystery Plays through four main routes listed on chestermysteryplays.com: joining the company or volunteer teams via Get Involved, becoming a Friend, sponsoring the event as an individual or corporate partner, or donating. You can also sign up to Receive Updates to stay informed. These routes suit different levels of commitment — from one-off financial support to hands-on participation in a production that relies on hundreds of local volunteers.
What the Event Is and Why Support Matters
The Chester Mystery Plays are a large community theatre festival, presented mainly by members of the local community under professional direction. The site describes it as one of the largest community events in the UK, with hundreds of enthusiasts of all ages forming the cast, crew, and support teams in administration, marketing, and front of house.
Productions run every five years. The most recent was in 2023 in the nave of Chester Cathedral, and the next full production of 19 performances is planned for Wednesday 28th June to Saturday 14th July, 2028.
The site states plainly that costs "continue to rise alarmingly" and that support from both the public and corporate partners is needed to keep the event going. That context explains why the involvement options below are framed as ways to sustain a five-yearly cycle rather than a year-round programme.
Routes to Get Involved
| Route | Best for | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Get Involved | People who want to take part | Participation in the company and support teams (cast, crew, admin, marketing, front of house) |
| Company | Those interested in the performing company | The community company behind each production |
| Friends | Ongoing individual supporters | A supporter relationship with the event |
| Sponsor Us | Businesses and corporate partners | Sponsorship of the event |
| Donate | Anyone wanting to give financially | One-off or general financial support |
| Receive Updates | Anyone not ready to commit yet | Email updates about the plays |
Get Involved and Company
If you want to be on stage, backstage, or in a support team, start with Get Involved. The site's own description of the production gives a realistic picture of the range of roles: cast, crew, and teams working in administration, marketing, and front of house. Because the next full production is in 2028, this is the route to explore well ahead of time rather than close to the performance dates.
The Company page sits alongside Get Involved and is the place to look if your interest is specifically in the performing company rather than general volunteering.
Friends
The Friends option is for individuals who want a continuing connection to the plays and to support them as an audience-side supporter rather than as a participant. It is the natural choice if you love the event but cannot commit to rehearsals or crew duties.
Sponsor Us
Sponsor Us is aimed at corporate partners and businesses. The site explicitly names "corporate partners" alongside the public as the support base needed to keep the event going, so this is the page to visit if you are approaching the plays on behalf of an organisation.
Donate
Donate is the direct financial route for anyone — individual or organisation — who wants to contribute without sponsorship arrangements. The site's appeal is broad: "whoever and wherever you are, please be part of our future."
Receive Updates
If you are not ready to choose a route, the Receive Updates sign-up (at /contact/subscribe/) is the low-commitment first step. Given the five-year cycle and the 2028 dates, subscribing is a sensible way to hear about opportunities as they open.
Practical Notes Before You Act
- Timing: The next full production is 28 June – 14 July 2028. Participation and sponsorship conversations are best started early in the cycle rather than in the final months.
- Payment: The site's pricing signals list PayPal as a payment platform, so online giving or payments may route through PayPal. The site does not publish specific donation amounts, sponsorship tiers, or Friends benefits, so check the relevant page for current details rather than assuming a figure.
- Location: Performances take place in and around Chester Cathedral. The site includes a Directions to Chester page and a Visit Chester page if travel planning matters to you.
- Accountability: Policy documents, a privacy notice, and a website disclaimer are linked from the site if you want to review governance before donating or sponsoring.
A Simple Decision Path
- Want to perform or crew? Go to Get Involved (and Company).
- Want to support as an individual without participating? Consider Friends or Donate.
- Representing a business? Use Sponsor Us.
- Not sure yet? Sign up via Receive Updates and revisit closer to the 2028 cycle.
Each of these pages is reachable from the main navigation on chestermysteryplays.com, alongside About Us, the cycle archives (2023, 2018, 2013), and the Historic Archive — useful if you want to understand the production's scale before committing.