VIKINGS will take over York Theatre Royal this month as part of a new exhibition.

After the Jorvik Viking Centre was damaged by flood water, the team has opened a free exhibition at the newly-reopened theatre's 12th Century Keregan Room.

The family-friendly exhibit, which starts on May 21, looks at the Vikings' use of medicine and living conditions, and marks the first time the Keregan Room, which is part of the St Leonard's Hospital undercroft, has been opened to the public.

Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for York Archaeological Trust, said: "The theatre team know only too well how important it is to continue working even when your own building is not in a suitable state – they did a magnificent job of staging shows in the temporary Signal Box Theatre – and this exhibition gives us the opportunity to do the same, bringing some of the stories and artefacts that visitors are accustomed to seeing in Coppergate into this different space."

Liz Wilson, chief executive of York Theatre Royal, said: "The theme ties in so well with the history of our own site, which was once the largest mediaeval hospital in Europe and we will be creating a brand new heritage centre in the Keregan Room to tell the incredibly interesting story of the site and the theatre’s past."

The Jorvik: Life and Death exhibition is the first of three planned for the year, while the York Archaeological Trust rebuild the Viking Centre, and will include interactive displays, a soft play area for young children and the only complete female skeleton found during the original Coppergate archaeological dig.

Jorvik: Life and Death opens on Saturday, May 21, and is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

To find out more go to jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk