All Saints North Street York offers period entertainment

Actors and backstage staff will stage Punch Porteous – Lost in Time at All Saints’ Church, North Street.

They show the titular character Punch waking up dazed and confused at different periods in York’s history as the city changes around him.

Produced by John Beecroft, the production by York-based poet Robert Powell and creative practitioner Ben Pugh spans Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Georgian, Victorian and Modern times.

The performance is part of the church’s program of restoring and promoting its medieval and stained glass windows, funded in part by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and will highlight aspects of the building’s history as well as York’s history.

READ MORE: The 13 medieval windows that needed restoration.

READ MORE: How the £500,000 conservation project began

The performance includes sound, images, spoken word, film and performance.

Robert Powell said: “It is fantastic that All Saints has commissioned a new contemporary work from local artists and that we are able to house it in one of the city’s most iconic and mysterious buildings.”

“We are still in the preliminary phase, but we are very excited. Audiences can learn about Punch’s adventures and the rich history of York – its rivers, streets, strays and stories – in one of the most extraordinary locations.

“And of course we expect the evasive Punch to make an appearance at All Saints during the performance!”

Bishop Glyn Webster, minister of All Saints North Street, added, “The Church has a long tradition of commissioning works of art and, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are pleased to be able to continue that tradition.” We’ll be performing commissioned to celebrate our wonderful Church, the city of York, and the people who have lived and prayed here through the ages.”

“Punch Porteous – Lost In Time” runs from October 26th to 28th.