Mother Shipton: The Great Prophetess

Mother Shipton: The Great Prophetess opens at The York Dungeon on Saturday 10 October, a live theatre experience that puts you inside the shadowy hideout of the 16th-century prophetess. It's part of the Haunted York experience, so it's less a seated play and more something you step into.

For those who don't know the name, Mother Shipton was the infamous prophetess of Knaresborough. The story goes that she was born in a cave on a stormy night and branded a monster, a witch, and something to be feared. The show takes you into her hideout, where flickering fires tell tales of the past and the line between prophecy and reality starts to blur. It's framed as live theatre set in a world of superstition, fear, and fate, so it leans into the folklore and the darker side of her reputation.

It's worth knowing where it sits in the city. The York Dungeon has been picking up awards lately: Large Tourist Attraction of the Year at the Visit York Tourism Awards in both 2024 and 2026, the 2026 Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award, and the 2026 Best of York Award. This show is one of the experiences you'll find inside.

You'll find it at The York Dungeon on Clifford Street, York, YO1 9RD, with the first performance on 10 October.