...SPECTACLE AND HISTORY, MIRACLES AND MYSTERY
Chester Mystery Plays is a highly collaborative enterprise involving the talents and goodwill of all kinds of people at all kinds of levels. Chester Mystery Plays Limited, a company with charitable status, was formed in the 1980s with the sole aim of ensuring the active survival of the Chester Mystery Plays. The current chairman is Jo Sykes.

The company was formally established as a company limited by guarantee and registered charity in 1986 (company number 02050251, registered charity number 518768). The Board of Directors oversees all the Company’s activities, and the Directors are also the Trustees. As there are no permanent, paid staff, the Board members are also responsible for managing the company and are consequently very “hands on”, each individual taking a lead on different strands of work, e.g. front of house, marketing.

Company Administration
Patron: The Marquess of Cholmondeley, KCVO

Sponsorship information and all matters concerning the board of Chester Mystery Plays Limited - email: Jo Sykes, Chairman

Administration, management and general enquiries
General Manager: Jane Dawson
email: Administration

Marketing and travel trade enquiries
email: Marketing

Chester Mystery Plays merchandise, recordings etc.
Product Manager: Judy Cheesman
email: Merchandising

Friends of Chester Mystery Plays
email: Friends Coordinator

Media and publicity enquiries, or anything concerning this website, email: Publicity & Media

Please use the email links shown, or get in touch via our general Contact Form. Your email will be forwarded to the individual concerned.

The Chester Mystery Plays Board

CMP Board

Company Members

There are also a number of Company Members. These are people who have been involved with the Company as volunteers and provide extra support for the Board in managing the Company’s activities.

Susan Campbell
Susan’s background is in nursing and she very recently retired as a Practice Manager. She became involved with the Mystery Plays in the 1980s. Soon after this she was appointed to the Board. She has been a magistrate for 28 years and also is a member of the Board of Governors of the William Jones Almshouses. She has recently been appointed to the Residents’ Committee of Wealstone CLS Care Home. She is often asked to act as a judge at the local horticultural show. Susan enjoys cookery and needlework and supports Inger Trevor-Barnston in fundraising events.

Stephen Cross
Stephen has assisted with front of house duties at the last four productions of the Chester Mystery Plays. He is the solicitor and company secretary at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Clerk to the Governors at The King's School, Chester.

Ronno Griffiths
Ronno is a Board Member of Theatre in The Quarter and has a strong commitment to community based arts. She became a company member of CMP in 2010 and performed in the 2008 cycle.

Vanda Hargen
Vanda is the Coordinator of the Friends’ group and has performed in two productions (2003 and 2008).

Eric Plenderleath
Eric served as Executive Member for Culture & Leisure immediately prior to his retirement from Chester City Council in 2009. He was a member of the Chester Gateway Theatre Board for 20 years, and also served on Arts Council England (North West). He was a founder Board member of Chester Performs and also of Chester Festivals, and has had a lifelong interest in the Arts.

Felicity Roochove
A Cestrian born and bred, Felicity appeared in the 1997 Cycle of the Plays. She then went to University where she studied Archaeology and Anthropology. On her return to Chester she was the Administrator and Project Manager of the 2003 Cycle, a role which firmly secured her passion for these wonderful Plays. As a Freeman of the City, she provides another link to the history of the Plays which were originally performed by the Guilds. As she recently got married in Chester Cathedral, she is looking forward to seeing the 2013 Cycle performed within the Cathedral for the first time.

Wendy Tudor-Morgan
Wendy has been a keen supporter of Chester Mystery Plays since her school days in Chester in the 50s and was a member of the Board for four years. She is now a member of the company and on the fund raising committee. She and her team of ladies have on several occasions catered for VIP guests at the plays. For many years she has done voluntary work in local theatres and one of her favourite pastimes is going to see live theatre of all kinds.
Andrew Clarkson
Andrew Clarkson
Andrew studied Theatre at Dartington College of Arts before training as a Drama Teacher. For the last 8 years he has been Head of Drama at The Bishops’ High School and more recently Assistant Headteacher. He joined the board in 2007 – for whom he acts as the lead on Schools’ Liaison. Andrew's script work includes ‘Tailor Made Love’ and ‘Hunch’ written for the comedy actor Philip Brodie.
Edward Austin
Edward Austin
Edward joined the CMP board in 2009 and is the designated lead on financial matters. He is currently the Director of Finance at the University of Chester. Edward was a member of the board of the Chester Gateway Theatre for over ten years and is a keen supporter of the Arts.
Dolores Whitton
Dolores Whitton
Dolores has been a member of the Board since 1987. She has performed in four productions – 1992 was a family affair as her son and daughter, then 9 and 14 years old, performed with her in the Cruxificion. Her background is in Education and she was a Chester City Councillor for 16 years, including being Mayor of the City in 1986-87, and has been a Magistrate for over 30 years. She is presently Chair of Governors at Upton-by-Chester Humanities High School.
Jo Sykes
Jo Sykes
Jo spent her professional life in academic administration at what is now The University of Chester and was appointed Director of Registry Services in the 1990s until her retirement in 2003. Running alongside her professional career Jo has always had a strongly-developed interest in amateur theatre which has been dominated by her involvement in the Chester Mystery Plays both as an actor and more recently as a trustee which led eventually to her appointment as Chairman of the company in 2003. Jo is also a director of The Hammond, an independent school specialising in performing arts.
Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson
Ruth’s first connection with Chester Mystery Plays was through Kingsway High School where she worked in the 1970s. She and her students made some of the "waggons" that took the plays around the city. One thing led to another… Ruth became a local Councillor and was appointed to the Board. She was hooked and the rest, as they say, is history! Ruth leads for the Board on safeguarding and policy development.
Inger Trevor-Barnston
Inger Trevor-Barnston
Inger was born and educated in Stockholm where she read sociology and anthropology at University. She came to Cheshire via Nairobi and Switzerland. Her wide ranging interests and love of Cheshire and the North West led her to train as a Blue Badge Guide, a role she has carried out with great enthusiasm for 27 years. Inger leads on organising fundraising events for Chester Mystery Plays, and is also a Committee member of a number of other organisations including NADFAS, the Guide Association and Chester Cathedral’s Development Trust.
Ian Sanderson
Ian Sanderson
A long supporter of Chester Mystery Plays, Ian joined the board in 1990 as Secretary and now deputy chairman, appearing briefly in the 1992 production. Ian has sung with the cathedral choir for many years, becoming a Lay Clerk shortly after arriving in Chester to study at the College of Law in 1986. He was a solicitor in Chester for many years and now sits as a District Judge in the County Court.
Hilarie McNae
Hilarie McNae
Hilarie has been a Board Member since 2000. She is a Freeman of Chester, and provides the link between the Board and the Guilds, who enacted the Plays in medieval times. She has acted in two productions. Hilarie is currently a Councillor with Cheshire West and Chester Council and represents the Council on the Board of Chester Performs.
Judy Cheesman
Judy Cheesman
Judy has been a keen supporter of the Chester Mystery Plays since the early 1980s. She helped with front of house activities and joined the Board after the 1992 production. As a teacher at Tattenhall Primary School she became involved with the Street Theatre and with the children writing, acting and making props and costumes. Her Board role is that of Front of House Co-ordinator.
Nicholas Fry
Nicholas Fry
Originally from Formby, Nick has performed in theatres all over the country in productions ranging from world premieres to pantomimes. He can also be seen regularly on television, as well as heard in several BBC radio plays. Nick’s full time role is being responsible for the care of visitors in Chester Cathedral. He is a member of the Chester Mystery Plays Board, taking the lead on marketing, and appeared as God in the hugely successful production of the Chester Mystery Plays in 2003 and more recently in the 2008 production as King Herod. Nick is also a member of the Board of the Chester Performs.
Chester Festivals
Cheshire West and Chester
MBNA Chestival
Granada Foundation
Lottery Arts Council
Lord Leverhulme's Charitable Trust
Heritage Lottery Fund
Range Cookers
Marjory Boddy Trust
University of Chester
Ursula Keyes Trust
Urenco
Westminster Foundation
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