Sovereign Screening

York Theatre Royal is bringing back Sovereign on Thursday 16 July, this time as a live screening of the filmed performance. It's a community production of C.J. Sansom's novel, first staged outdoors in the grounds of the historic King's Manor, and the screening lets you catch it in the Main House if you missed the original run.

The story follows lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak as they await the arrival of Henry VIII, who's travelling to York to display his power and address northern rebels. The plot centres on the murder of a York glazier, which plunges Shardlake into a mystery that threatens the Tudor dynasty. It's told through the voices of the people of York, with a large local cast and choir, and hundreds of volunteers working backstage.

Because it was a community production, the scale of it is part of the draw: a big local cast and a choir on stage, with hundreds more helping out behind the scenes. The original was set outdoors at King's Manor, so the screening brings that performance inside to the theatre.

Entry is free, though donations are welcomed for the ‘I Love Community Theatre’ fund. It's at the Main House on Thursday 16 July.