ORGANISERS behind an open air night show which attracted more than 100,000 visitors in its first season, are launching their campaign to make next year even more successful.

The next season of Kynren - An Epic Tale of England is expected to see the number of volunteers increased by 50 per cent to 1,500 and two more show dates added.

A 1,000-strong cast put on 15 shows over the summer down at the Eleven Arches site, in Bishop Auckland.

Demand for the epic show was so strong that the organisers added an extra show in a bid to satisfy demand.

Kynren’s success has been a major boost to the regional economy with hotels reporting a surge in bookings and businesses eager to cash in on the influx of visitors.

The event’s success is a personal triumph for millionaire philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer who had the idea of bringing the attraction to south west Durham as part of his personal crusade to regenerate the area.

Organisers are keen not to rest on their laurels and so have signed up creative director Steve Boyd, who has worked on opening and closing ceremonies since Barcelona in 1992 right up to this summer’s Rio games.

He said: “My favourite thing about my job is working with regular people with no prior performance experience. I love developing teaching methods that move people beyond their notions of what is possible.

“Once you cover the basics, mass casts produce their own magic and can achieve the extraordinary.

“The astonishing success the Kynren performers achieved in the first season is just the tip of the iceberg. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this warm and up-for-it community to build on their successes and leap into the next stage of the Kynren journey.

Anne-Isabelle Daulon, chief executive of the Eleven Arches Trust, added: “This is a very exciting time in the evolution of Kynren in 2017 you can expect more pageantry, more combat, more amazing choreography and more visual delight on an even greater scale.”

Details of the volunteer recruitment programme will be announced in November.