PEOPLE around the world will be able to watch the York Mystery Plays as they are streamed live on the internet this summer.

The outdoor spectacular in the Museum Gardens is set to be shown online during the weekend of August 11 and 12, with the action both on stage and behind the scenes captured by eight different cameras.

Viewers will then be able to download and re-watch the plays using a new set of iplayer options, dragging and dropping all the different camera views into a timeline.

The £50,000 scheme, which is part of the York 800 celebrations, is one of a series of 53 digital initiatives nationwide which are part of The Space, an experimental digital arts media service created through a partnership between the BBC and Arts Council England.

Pilot Theatre, a touring theatre company based at York Theatre Royal, is behind the York project, working with livestream specialists Kinura.

Marcus Romer, artistic director of Pilot Theatre, said “This is very exciting opportunity for us to be able to share the York Mysteries with the world, and allows us to extend the digital work we have been developing in providing new ways for audiences to engage with the arts.”

Some of the build up to the event will also be shown live, enabling key characters and members of the creative team to share their work and the parts they play in helping to help create the show.

Sarah Platt, director of Kinura, said the funding provided a unique chance to capitalise on the work it had been doing in innovative live streaming.

Liz Wilson, chief executive of York Theatre Royal, said the Internet project added another dimension to the Plays. “A great partnership of York organisations working on this artistic endeavour has just got better.”