Passion Plays Conference 2023

There is no better way to experience the Easter story than to see it performed in the public square! Join us for discussions and talks about all things relating to Passion Plays for Easter 2024, including hearing from Chris Walton the producer of the Chester Mystery Plays this year in Chester Cathedral.

• Are you performing the Easter story next year or involved in any way?
• Do you want to see a new Passion Play in your public square?
• Do you need funding or resources?
• Do you have little experience and need advice from the experts?
• Do you need to improve production standards and get larger audiences?

Free Zoom Conference

Join us on Zoom for talks and chatrooms discussions focussed on improving performance standards and sharing creative insights.

When: Monday 23rd October starting at 6pm with talks and break-out rooms until 8:30pm.

How to sign up: Visit Eventbrite to sign up

Key speaker: Chris Walton, finance director and producer of the Chester Mystery Plays.

He successfully helped produce & fundraise for the 2023 production. Hear how his team managed to make a national success.

We will also hear from experts and leaders of theatre companies, Passion Play communities and the Passion Trust.

Key Speaker

Chris Walton has recently finished producing the 2023 Chester Mystery Plays, which were performed in Chester Cathedral this summer to sell out audiences and receiving rave local and national reviews.

Chris has had a varied career, starting in the Royal Navy as a nuclear engineer in the submarine service.  After 14 years, he took a bit of a ‘gap year’ or three to work in the hospitality industry managing people and hotels in the French Alps and in Greece.  Returning to reality, Chris has been Commercial Director of Chester Cathedral, Operations Manager for two engineering firms and a charity supporting homeless families, trained engineering teams in emergency management, dabbled in property development and is now in the ‘bank’ of NHS administrative support, following volunteer involvement during the pandemic.  Chris enjoys managing discrete projects and getting the best out of teamwork.  He also serves as a magistrate in Chester.

About the Chester Mystery Plays

The Chester Mystery Plays were the longest-running in medieval England and were the last to fold after the ban on religious plays during the sixteenth century. They were revived in 1951 and have been performed every five years since then. This year’s production was a theatrical spectacular staged in the stunning nave of Chester Cathedral. Biblical tales of love, death, betrayal and redemption were performed by a cast of hundreds with humour, pathos and moments of horror. Find out more by joining the conference!