AN ACTOR at York Dungeon has been getting to grips with theTudors' strange ways of trying to get rid of stains in their clothes.

With only the wealthiest able to afford soap, most York residents resorted to a revolting mixture of urine and white ash.

Method actor Dan Elmes is set to play John Thomas, a former launderer of monks’ habits at St Mary’s Abbey , when he takes part in a forthcoming ‘Tyrannical Tudors’ show, which starts at the Dungeon on April 4.

Thomas has fallen upon hard times and resorted to begging after Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539.

Having researched the role, he says urine was so valuable that homes even had pee-pots outside to collect the commodity from passers-by.

"For some reason, they believed that four-day-old urine was the best stain remover, so you can imagine the stench as the 16th century washing detergent reached the appropriate level of maturity!”

A dungeon spokeswoman said Tyrannical Tudors will feature a 75-minute tour full of actor-led performances, all hilariously funny and full of comical but scary moments, often incorporating members of the audience.

"Audiences will experience the sights and sounds, and be able to touch and even smell aspects of this nail-biting but darkly funny re-enactment. Folks may not want to get too close to Dan’s outfit though, once they know what he’s been washing it in!"