How to see the British Pageant in England, in-person or via livestream
The British Pageant in Chorley, England, portrays the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles
Actors and family cast members perform during the 2023 British Pageant in Chorley, U.K., the first week of August 2023. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. The pageant is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
How to see the British Pageant in England, in-person or via livestream
The British Pageant in Chorley, England, portrays the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles
Actors and family cast members perform during the 2023 British Pageant in Chorley, U.K., the first week of August 2023. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. The pageant is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Note: The livestream recording of the 2023 British Pageant in England will be available to Monday, Aug. 14, at 10 p.m. British Summer Time/3 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.
The history of Apostle Heber C. Kimball and the first missionaries to England and early converts to the Church in the British Isles — through words, song and dance with hundreds of performers and volunteers — is on display in Chorley, Lancashire, England, the first two weeks in August.
The pageant was Aug. 2-5, and is Aug. 8-12, on the Preston England Temple grounds. The Friday, Aug. 11, performance will be livestreamed on the British Pageant’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@BritishPageant at 8 p.m. British Summer Time/1 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time. It will be up for about 48 hours, according to a post on the British Pageant’s Facebook page.
“It has been 6 years since the last British Pageant in 2017, which has led to an excitement to gather and a need to retell these inspirational stories of our first missionaries and converts in the UK and Ireland,” pageant President Craig T. Wright wrote in the post. “There is a need to extend the reach of the pageant to those who will be unable to attend due to health or logistical reasons.
“This story doesn’t just belong to us in the UK, but extends to the many church members whose ancestors were converted in the UK and Ireland.”
Cast members representing the George Q. Cannon family perform during the 2023 British Pageant in Chorley, U.K., the first week of August 2023.. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. The pageant is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The pageant was first performed in 2013 as a one-time event. It was later performed in 2017, and it was scheduled to continue every four years. President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who served a mission in England, attended one of the performances in both 2013 and 2017.
Also attending in 2013 were then-Elder Russell M. Nelson, now Church president, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Ronald A. Rasband, then of the Presidency of the Seventy and now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
It was postponed from 2021 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, again from 2022 to 2023 due to the conflict in the Ukraine and the ongoing humanitarian efforts.
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How to see the British Pageant in-person
For those attending in-person, tickets are free. See britishpageant.co.uk for information on the tickets, location and parking.
Youth in costume participate in activities at the British Pageant country fair in Chorley, Lancashire, England, prior to the pageant the first week in August 2023. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. The pageant is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Performances this week are on Aug. 8-12, and begin at 8 p.m., British Summer Time, with matinees on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 at 2 p.m. British Sign Language is available during the Thursday, Aug. 10, performance.
The Country Fair and Discovery Experience opens two hours before performance start times.
‘Moving with joy’ in the British Pageant
In Nauvoo, Illinois, a version of the British Pageant is one of two pageants performed during the summer. The Nauvoo Pageant and the British Pageant were performed there on alternating nights this year from July 11-Aug. 5.
Jonathan Mace has helped with both the 2013 and 2017 pageants and also in Nauvoo in 2014, 2015 and 2018, serving various capacities from the choreography team to assistant stage manager and assistant director. This year — his sixth with the pageant — he’s the choreography lead, the Church’s U.K. Newsroom reported.
In 2013, he was asked to be part of the choreography team and helped create some of the steps used in the pageant this year. The pageant’s more than 100 performers are a combination of core cast members, core dancers, most of which are skilled dancers, and family cast members, many of whom aren’t trained dancers.
Jonathan Mace, the 2023 British Pageant choreograph lead, works with family cast members in advance of the pageant. The British Pageant in Chorley, Lancashire, England, is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“What makes this production different from a dance perspective is the sheer scale of it and the wide age range of the cast,” Mace said. “We try to use the term ‘moving with joy’ with the family cast as we’re portraying the early members of the Church and their love of music rather than trying to be professional dancers.”
Mace, who grew up singing, acting and dancing and is a chartered accountant, said that helping with the British Pageant is more than sharing his love of the theater.
“For me, the pageant is a vehicle to invite people to Christ. I love theater, but this isn’t about ‘putting on a show’ for me. It’s about the participants’ and audiences’ experience and sharing our love of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Mace said. “I hope to facilitate moments where participants and audience members feel the Holy Spirit and are strengthened in their resolve to follow Jesus Christ.”
Actors and family cast members perform during the 2023 British Pageant in Chorley, U.K., the first week of August 2023.. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. The pageant is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
VIP guests at the British Pageant
Audience members during the first week of the pageant included members of parliament, and several ambassadors to England. They include Ivan Romero-Martinez of Honduras, dean of the London Diplomatic Corps; Susana Herrera-Quesada from Chile; and representatives from South Sudan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kyrgyz Republic and Ethiopia, the Church’s U.K. Newsroom reported.
U.K. based diplomats stand below their country flags outside the England Missionary Training Centre in Chorley, U.K, prior to a performance of the 2023 British Pageant the first week of August 2023. The pageant is on the grounds of the Preston England Temple and the nearby England MTC and is the first two weeks in August 2023. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Also in attendance were members of Parliament, including Sir Lindsay Hoyle, House of Commons speaker and Chorley’s representative in parliament; government minister David Rutley; and Fiona Bruce, the prime minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Bruce said: “The story of the British Pageant tells a story of the faith and sacrifice of the people in my home county of Lancashire and throughout the U.K. to which we all can relate.”
British Pageant President Craig Wright, left, welcomes the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle, a member of Parliament, to the 2023 British Pageant in Chorley, Lancashire, England. The pageant shares the story of early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. The pageant is the first two weeks in August 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Herrera-Quesada, ambassador from Chile, said she enjoyed the experience. “This has given me an opportunity to learn more about the depth and heart of another faith and its culture. I have also enjoyed the beautiful countryside, architecture, and spirit of history that pervades this area of Great Britain.”
Elder Alan T. Phillips, General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Church’s Europe North Area presidency, helped to host the diplomatic and government representatives and reflected on the journey of religious freedom shared in the pageant, the Church’s U.K. Newsroom reported.
“Our story is one of faith and sacrifice for the rights that our forebears made in our behalf and that we enjoy today,” Elder Phillips said. “We need to ask the question of what more we can do so others can feel the warmth of community that we feel here tonight. I am grateful to you who devote your lives to give voice to those who are silenced.”
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. It has been updated to include the livestream information.
