TALENTED young performers brought local legends to life in one of their town’s most historic settings.

Jack Drum Arts teamed up with Auckland Castle Trust to stage the open air production in the castle’s deer park in Bishop Auckland this afternoon.

The cast, aged eight to 25, had attended the Jack Drum Arts Summer School and had been building up to the performance in the deer house all week.

Audience members were treated to three short plays, featuring singing, dancing, music and storytelling. Each play explored a story or legend connected to Bishop Auckland or the castle itself.

This included the legend of Pollard of the Brawn, a Bishop Auckland knight who was awarded with a patch of land after he killed a wild boar that was terrorising the town.

Laura Emmerson, music and arts director at Crook-based Jack Drum Arts, said: “The young people have been amazing. A few attended last year’s summer school and really made the new people and younger ones feel at ease.”

The summer school was funded by Youth Music and the 3 Towns Area Action Partnership. Young people from the DurhamWorks Scheme, which supports those who are not in education, employment or training, were also involved.