Chester Mystery Plays originated in the 14th century,
nearly 700 years ago.

  Church services were conducted in Latin and the monks at the Abbey of St Werburgh (now Chester Cathedral) enacted stories from the Bible to help those who couldn't otherwise follow or understand. Eventually this proved too disruptive and the plays were moved outside, after which individual companies of Chester Guilds adopted them. For example, the Grocers, Bakers and Millers performed The Last Supper, and the Ironmongers undertook The Crucifixion.
(read full list)  The Freemen and Guilds of Chester, a united group of trade companies, had been in existence for more than 100 years by then.
A powerful force in the city, they protected the interests and welfare of fellow merchants and craftsmen while playing a major part in social, political and economic life. Their influence extended to organising major events, one of which became Chester Mystery Plays.   Medieval street theatre - The guilds staged the plays on open pageant waggons. Each waggon trundled through the streets to ‘stations' where the audience gathered. The first station was outside Abbey Gate - audiences today pass through the same place to see the modern version of the plays. The medieval route continued down Northgate to the Cross then along Watergate, cutting next into Bridge Street then Eastgate.

Mystery or miracle plays? read here.
The performance of these plays in the vernacular, laced with wit and humour and staged on lavishly decorated waggons, became the highlight of the Feast of Corpus Christi, later stretching over three days at Whitsuntide.   Few town guilds in medieval Britain were able to afford such pageantry but of those who did, original scripts survive from only five cities, Chester's being the most complete in existence with a near-complete text of 24 plays. read more.

Mystery plays were banned nationally in the 16th century. Chester was the last to concede in 1578 and so became the longest-running cycle in medieval times. Revived in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, they have since been staged every five years.   Chester Mystery Plays Ltd, a company with charitable status, was formed in the 1980s with the sole aim of ensuring the active survival of the plays. Board members traditionally include the Lord Mayor of Chester and the Dean of Chester. Current chairman is Jo Sykes, company secretary Ian Sanderson, financial director Peter Overmeer.