THIS weekend a theatre production to recreate a pageant that happened at Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton, will be staged by Time Will Tell Theatre at the site.

The theatre company will explore the story of the pageant, in an interactive and thrilling performance, transporting all visitors straight back to 1927.

There will be film footage of the original event and performance today and tomorrow.

English Heritage members free, adults £6.60 Child, £4.00, Concession £5.90, Family £17.20.The historical pageant was written by Florence, Lady Bell. Over a thousand local people performed, including an admiral and an MP, following a two year period of organisation and rehearsals. For three days, they performed to crowds, made an £807 loss, however, the legacy of the pageant remained for decades.

The pageant told the tale of the Carthusian monks who lived at Mount Grace Priory, spanning the period between 1084 and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when the Priory was abandoned.

All cleverly set within the stunning ruins of the site, the cast performed wearing intricate outfits and playing different historical characters. The performance was filled with dancing, and historical re-enactment of the lives of the monks who had walked the grounds they now stood on.

A brilliant performance by Colonel Harington, who played Henry VIII as a chilling villain was commented on in the press as particularly commendable. The combination of the different classes coming together to perform gave the pageant a legacy that outlived Lady Bell herself; those who performed fondly recalled it for subsequent decades.

Site manager Victoria Conroy said: “Ninety years on from this amazing pageant, we can’t wait to share the fantastic legacy it left behind with visitors at Mount Grace Priory and Gardens this weekend.

"Time Will Tell Theatre will really bring it to life, and the gorgeous film footage that survives is a wonderful insight into the exciting atmosphere of the pageant back in 1927."