Thousands set to descend on custom-built marquee at Preston England Temple grounds tomorrow for religious pageant

The 2023 British Pageant is one of the biggest events of the year for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and after a 6 year absence, will return to Chorley, where, over nine dates, hundreds of performers will gather in song and dance to recreate a historic event. More than 700 volunteers, including 130 performers, are working together to put on the large scale community theatre project, based on the British contributions to Christianity during the mid- nineteenth century and the burgeoning Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The pageant is being held on the Preston England Temple grounds, inside a custom-built marquee, thought to be the largest in Europe, with capacity for 1,200 visitors for each performance. Organisers say guests, and cast members, will be travelling from as far away as America, New Zealand, Australia and South America.

President of the British Pageant Craig Wright has been working on the event since his appointment in November, 2020. He said: “A lot of moving parts have come together for this event. We are so lucky that gifted and talented people from all over the world have come together to put on, what I hope to be, will be the best British Pageant so far. I think it’s going to be more spectacular than what we have done before.

“We have brand new sets, a much larger stage and the marquee is really a magnificent sight. I don’t want to give too much away, but the finale is something special.”

Speaker of the House and local MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle has supported the pageant during previous years, and is expected to attend the opening night, on August 2, among a number of other MPs and local dignitaries.

Written, organised, and performed by hundreds of volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a purpose-built theatre, the British Pageant depicts the arrival of the first Latter-day Saints to the United Kingdom in 1837 and the experiences of its early members.

Before the show, visitors can also participate in an interactive country fair games and activities similar to those available in the early 1800s. Other attractions will involve dancing and crafts, an ‘old time’ photo booth and the opportunity to discover your family history with an interactive digital genealogy exhibit.

Craig added: “People love knowing where they came from, and our genealogy exhibit allows people to trace back their ancestry. We expect a few surprises to pop up, such as visitors uncovering their ancestors played pivotal roles in the early stages of the church.

“We would like to invite everybody, including people from outside of our faith, to come to the British Pageant and witness this really powerful story about the people of Lancashire, and their influence and legacy that is still being felt today.”

The British Pageant will be performed in the Preston Temple grounds in Chorley on Wednesday 2 to Saturday 5, and Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 August.

Tickets are free tickets and can be booked HERE.