Announcing The Coppergate Woman: York Theatre Royal’s Community Production for 2022

In an ever-changing world, how do we hang onto who we are when the grounds are shifting beneath our feet? How do we look forward and rebuild, when the End Times feel ever more real? In the heart of York lies a woman with the answers.

Discovered in a shallow pit by the river, the remains of an unknown woman are displayed in a glass cage in the JORVIK Viking Centre for all to see. Until one day, the eyes stop coming, the visitors are no more. The city is quiet and the Coppergate Woman rises once again.

She is a Valkyrie, shepherd of the dead and dying, a servant of Odin, ready to guide lost souls to the halls of Valhalla. Because Ragnarok is coming. Right now. When the gods will perish, and fire will triumph, and out of the ashes, finally, the world will rise again. Made anew.

Weaving Viking legends with the stories of modern-day York people, this epic new play imagines a world in which the old gods rise to meet the new, to do battle together.

This summer, York Theatre Royal present another stunning community production, featuring a local ensemble cast and live choir performances. We are looking for people to join our ensemble of around 100 performers, who will be led by a professional actor in the title role.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved with a variety of roles available both on stage and backstage – not just as performers and musicians but to work in stage management, wardrobe, lighting, props, marketing, fundraising and front-of-house.

The Coppergate Woman is written by Maureen Lennon and will be directed by Juliet Forster and John R. Wilkinson. We will be working in partnership with JORVIK Viking Centre.

Co-director Juliet Forster said: “The idea came from thinking about the importance of storytelling in our world and how do we draw people together. The Vikings were storytellers and I started thinking about the Vikings because it’s an area we as a theatre had not explored before and is a very interesting part of our history.”

Co-director John R. Wilkinson said: “It’s been five years since we last did one of our community plays. Given all that’s gone on in the past couple of years, it’s really necessary and heartening to be able to bring people together again. This time we’re digging into another realm of the city’s beloved history.”

Hull-born writer Maureen Lennon said: “I was approached to write a community project that engaged with York’s Viking history and how stories of our ancestors might bridge the gap between their world and our world right now. What could we learn from each other? It was always envisaged as a project that talked about community, togetherness, and the power of storytelling in our societies.

“The Coppergate Woman weaves myth with contemporary stories. The Vikings had an end of the world story in their mythology, Ragnarok, and in our tale the Coppergate Woman is awakened to try to help four people of York live through their own version of Ragnarok. It’s about hope and heartache and loss – and starting again, together.”

The Coppergate Woman will be on our main stage from 30 July to 06 August.