York Mystery Plays
Encyclopedia
The York Mystery Plays, more properly called the York Corpus Christi Plays, are a Middle English
cycle of forty-eight mystery play
s, or pageants, which cover sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgement. These were traditionally presented on the feast day of Corpus Christi
(a movable feast occurring the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, between May 23 and June 24). They were performed in the city of York
, from the middle of the fourteenth century until 1569. It is one of only four virtually complete surviving English mystery play cycles, with the others known as the Chester Mystery Plays
, the Towneley/Wakefield plays and N-Town plays. In addition to these, two long, composite, and late mystery pageants have survived from the Coventry cycle
, and there are records and fragments from other similar productions which took place elsewhere. A manuscript
of the York plays, probably dating from some time between 1463 and 1477, survives at the British Library
.
s has already been established. The plays were organised, financed (and often performed) by the York Craft Guilds ("Mystery" is a play on words, representing both a religious truth, or rite, and, in its Middle English
meaning of a trade, or craft). The wagons would be paraded through the streets of York, stopping at each of 12 playing stations, designated by the City banners.
The cycle uses many different verse forms, but most have rhyme, a regular rhythm with fairly short lines, and frequent alliteration. The balance of critical opinion is in favour of the idea of several clerics being responsible for their authorship, one of whom is conventionally known as the "York Realist".
The cycle of plays comprise some 48 pageants, which were originally presented upon carts and wagons, dressed for the occasion. In some accounts, there are as many as 56 pageants. They told stories from both the Old
and New Testament
s, from the Creation to the Last Judgement.
The Plays continued after the Reformation
, when in 1548 the feast of Corpus Christi was abolished in England. The plays accommodated themselves to the new religious orthodoxy, by cutting scenes honouring the Virgin, but were finally suppressed in 1569.
Traditionally, an individual guild would take responsibility for a particular play.
, have been attributed to a writer called "The York Realist" and the name has come into general use. The eight plays concerned are
They are all written in vigorous alliterative verse
, as are other plays in the cycle. The distinctive feature, apart from the high quality of the writing, is the attention to incidental detail in the story-telling, and in the subtle portrayal of the negative characters, such as Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas. Playwright Peter Gill
expressed the view that "If it hadn’t been for the York Realist, Shakespeare would have been a second rate writer like Goethe"
obtained the permission of the Earl of Ashburnham
to study the manuscript of the plays, then in his possession, and in 1885 to publish her transcription, together with an introduction and short glossary.
In 1909, The York Historic Pageant included a parade of the banners of the Guilds through the streets, accompanying a wagon representing the Nativity. In December of the same year a selection of six of the plays was performed as a fund-raising venture for St Olave's Church, York
. The play cycle was revived on a much larger scale in 1951, in the York Festival of the Arts, as a part of the Festival of Britain
celebrations. This was performed on a fixed stage in the ruins of St Mary's Abbey
in Museum Gardens
and directed by E. Martin Browne
. The music, written for the occasion by James Brown
, was directed by Allan Wicks
. The part of Jesus was played by Joseph O'Conor
, with other roles taken by amateurs. In the interests of comprehensibility, the text was abbreviated and modernised by Canon J. S. Purvis. He later produced a modernisation of the complete text.
Following the great success of the 1951 production, which was the most widely applauded Festival of Britain event in the country, with over 26,000 people witnessing the plays, selections from the plays were staged in the same location at three-year intervals, lengthening to four-year intervals, until 1988. Usually there was a professional director and a professional actor to play Jesus, with the rest of the cast being local amateurs, though some of the latter, such as Judi Dench
, later became professionals. Directors included E. Martin Browne
again (1954, 1957, 1966), David Giles (1960), William Gaskill
(1963), Edward Taylor (1969, 1973), Jane Howell (1976), Patrick Garland
(1980), Toby Robertson (1984) and Steven Pimlott
(1988).
The role of Jesus was played a second time by Joseph O'Conor
(1954), then by Brian Spink (1957), Tom Criddle, (1960), Alan Dobie
(1963), John Westbrook
(1966), John Stuart Anderson (1973), David Bradley
(1976), Christopher Timothy
(1980), Simon Ward
(1984) and Victor Banerjee
(1988).
In 1992 the production was moved to the Theatre Royal
, with Robson Green
playing Christ. The 1996 production, in the same place, was all-amateur, with a script adapted by Liz Lochhead
. For 2000, the interest of the Dean of York
, Raymond Furnell
, led to the most ambitious production ever.
, known as The York Millennium Mystery Plays. Directed by Gregory Doran
, and with Ray Stevenson
in the role of Christ, the production was the most expensive and wide-reaching project in the history of the plays' modern revival. The first half began in Heaven with the story of the fall of Lucifer, followed by the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark (with impressive and memorable representations of the animals and the flood) and the story of Abraham and Isaac. From the New Testament there came the annunciation and nativity of Jesus, the massacre of the innocents, Christ's childhood, baptism, temptation and ministry, and his entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The second half concentrated on the capture and trial of Christ, and his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The production ended with the Last Judgement.
The production ran for a month, with a total audience of 28,000. Aside from the professional director and actor, Ray Stevenson, the cast was made up of amateurs, mainly from the York area. Over fifty children also took part in the play. Original music was written for the production by local composer, Richard Shepherd.
. The script is to be adapted by Mike Kenny
and the direction will be by Damian Cruden
of York Theatre Royal
and Paul Burbidge of Riding Lights Theatre Company
.
s and market stalls, was performed around Leeds University
, in 1975.
In 1994 the Leeds-based historian Jane Oakshott worked alongside the Friends of York Mystery Plays, the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York
and the York Early Music Festival
to direct in York the first processional performance of the plays in modern times. This production involved nine amateur drama groups each taking one of the plays, and touring it to five playing stations in the city using pageant waggons.
A production in a similar format in 1998 featured eleven of the plays, and for the first time the modern York Guilds were involved for some of the plays, either directly or as sponsors of performances.
For the 2002 production overall management shifted to a committee of the Guilds of York, namely The York Guild of Building, The Company of Merchant Taylors, The Company of Cordwainers, The Guild of Freemen, The Company of Butchers, The Guild of Scriveners and The Company of Merchant Adventurers. Ten plays were offered, again with the assistance of local drama groups.
In 2006, twelve waggons performed in the streets, in conjunction with the York Early Music Festival
. Two complementary collections of images of this production: 'wide angle' and 'zoomed in'
The 2010 production again featured twelve waggons, performing at four stations. At the same time the only known surviving manuscript of the plays was on display at York Art Gallery
. Their presentations use the authentic Middle English
both in the words used and in their pronunciation. They have regularly contributed one of the waggon play productions.
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
cycle of forty-eight mystery play
Mystery play
Mystery plays and miracle plays are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the representation of Bible stories in churches as tableaux with accompanying antiphonal song...
s, or pageants, which cover sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgement. These were traditionally presented on the feast day of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
(a movable feast occurring the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, between May 23 and June 24). They were performed in the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, from the middle of the fourteenth century until 1569. It is one of only four virtually complete surviving English mystery play cycles, with the others known as the Chester Mystery Plays
Chester Mystery Plays
The Chester Mystery Plays is a cycle of mystery plays dating back to at least the early part of the 15th century.A record of 1422 shows that the plays took place at the feast of Corpus Christi and this appears to have continued until 1521. Plays on Corpus Christi Day in 1475 included 'The trial...
, the Towneley/Wakefield plays and N-Town plays. In addition to these, two long, composite, and late mystery pageants have survived from the Coventry cycle
Coventry Mystery Plays
The Coventry Mystery Plays, or Coventry Corpus Christi Pageants, are a cycle of medieval mystery plays from Coventry, West Midlands, England, and are perhaps best known as the source of the "Coventry Carol". Two plays from the original cycle are extant having been copied from the now lost original...
, and there are records and fragments from other similar productions which took place elsewhere. A manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
of the York plays, probably dating from some time between 1463 and 1477, survives at the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
The Plays
There is no record of the first performance of the York Mystery Plays, but they are first recorded celebrating the festival of Corpus Christi, in York in 1376, by which time the use of pageant wagonPageant wagon
A pageant wagon is a movable stage or cart used to accommodate the mystery and miracle play cycles of the 10th through the 16th Century. These religious plays were developed from biblical texts and they reached the height of their popularity in the 15th century before being rendered obsolete by the...
s has already been established. The plays were organised, financed (and often performed) by the York Craft Guilds ("Mystery" is a play on words, representing both a religious truth, or rite, and, in its Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
meaning of a trade, or craft). The wagons would be paraded through the streets of York, stopping at each of 12 playing stations, designated by the City banners.
The cycle uses many different verse forms, but most have rhyme, a regular rhythm with fairly short lines, and frequent alliteration. The balance of critical opinion is in favour of the idea of several clerics being responsible for their authorship, one of whom is conventionally known as the "York Realist".
The cycle of plays comprise some 48 pageants, which were originally presented upon carts and wagons, dressed for the occasion. In some accounts, there are as many as 56 pageants. They told stories from both the Old
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
s, from the Creation to the Last Judgement.
The Plays continued after the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, when in 1548 the feast of Corpus Christi was abolished in England. The plays accommodated themselves to the new religious orthodoxy, by cutting scenes honouring the Virgin, but were finally suppressed in 1569.
Traditionally, an individual guild would take responsibility for a particular play.
- Barkers (Tanners) – The creation, and the Fall of Lucifer
- Plasterers – The creation myth – up to the Fifth Day
- Cardmakers – Creation of Adam and EveAdam and EveAdam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
- Fullers (Preparers of woolen cloth) – Adam and Eve in Eden
- Coopers (Maker of wooden casks) – The Fall of ManThe Fall of ManIn Christian doctrine, the Fall of Man, or simply the Fall, refers to the transition of the first humans from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience to God. In Genesis chapter 2, Adam and Eve live at first with God in a paradise, but the serpent tempts them into...
- Armourers – Expulsion from EdenGarden of EdenThe Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
- Glovers – Sacrifice of Cain and AbelCain and AbelIn the Hebrew Bible, Cain and Abel are two sons of Adam and Eve. The Qur'an mentions the story, calling them the two sons of Adam only....
- Shipwrights – Building of the ArkNoah's ArkNoah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
- Fishers and Mariners – NoahNoahNoah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
and his Wife - Parchmenters and Bookbinders – AbrahamAbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and IsaacIsaacIsaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites... - Hosiers – Departure of the Israelites from EgyptThe ExodusThe Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
;Ten PlaguesPlagues of EgyptThe Plagues of Egypt , also called the Ten Plagues or the Biblical Plagues, were ten calamities that, according to the biblical Book of Exodus, Israel's God, Yahweh, inflicted upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery. Pharaoh capitulated after the tenth...
; Crossing of the Red SeaPassage of the Red SeaThe Crossing of the Red Sea is a passage in the Biblical narrative of the escape of the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptians in the Book of Exodus . This story is also mentioned in the Qur'an in Surah 26: Al-Shu'ara' in verses 60-67... - Spicers – AnnunciationAnnunciationThe Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
and Visitation - Pewterers and Founders – JosephSaint JosephSaint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
's Trouble about Mary - Tile-thatchers – Journey to Bethlehem
- Chandlers (Candlemakers) – Shepherds
- Masons – Coming of the Three KingsBiblical MagiThe Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
to HerodHerod the GreatHerod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his... - Goldsmiths – Coming of the KingsBiblical MagiThe Magi Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, Astrologers, or Kings from the East, were a group of distinguished foreigners who were said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh...
: Adoration - Marshals (Grooms) – Flight into Egypt
- Girdlers and Nailers – Slaughter of the Innocents
- Spurriers and Lorimers (Spurmakers, makers of bits, etc.) – Christ with the Doctors
- Barbers – Baptism of Jesus
- Smiths – Temptation
- Curriers (Men who dress leather) – Transfiguation
- Capmakers – Woman Taken in Adultery; Lazarus
- Skinners – Christ's Entry into Jerusalem
- Cutlers – Conspiracy
- Bakers – Last Supper
- Cordwainers (Shoemakers) – Agony and Betrayal
- Bowyers and Fletchers – Peter's Denial; Jesus before Caiphas
- Tapiters (Makers of tapestry and carpets) and Couchers – Dream of Pilate's Wife
- Listers (Dyers) – Trial before Herod
- Cooks and Water-leaders – Second Accusation before Pilot; Remorse of Judas; Purchase of the Field of Blood
- Tilemakers – Second Trial before Pilate
- Shearmen – Christ Led to Calvary
- Pinners and Painters – CrucifixionCrucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
- Butchers – Mortification of Christ; Burial
- Saddlers – Harrowing of Hell
- Carpenters – Resurrection
- Winedrawers – Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalene
- Sledmen – Travellers to Emmaus
- Hatmakers, Masons, Labourers – Purification of Mary; Simeon and Anna
- ScrivenerScrivenerA scrivener was traditionally a person who could read and write. This usually indicated secretarial and administrative duties such as dictation and keeping business, judicial, and history records for kings, nobles, temples, and cities...
s – Incredulity of ThomasThomas the ApostleThomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman... - Tailors – Ascension
- Potters – Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Drapers (Dealers in cloth and dry goods) – The Death of Mary
- Weavers – The Appearance of Mary to ThomasThomas the ApostleThomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
- Ostlers (Stablemen) – Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin
- Mercers (Dealers in textiles) – JudgementLast JudgmentThe Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
Day
The York Realist
The authorship of all the plays is unknown, but analysis of their style allows scholars to recognise where authorship changes. One particular group of plays, concerned with the PassionPassion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
, have been attributed to a writer called "The York Realist" and the name has come into general use. The eight plays concerned are
- Cutlers – Conspiracy
- Cordwainers (Shoemakers) – Agony and Betrayal
- Bowyers and Fletchers – Peter's Denial; Jesus before Caiphas
- Tapiters (Makers of tapestry and carpets) and Couchers – Dream of Pilate's Wife
- Listers (Dyers) – Trial before Herod
- Cooks and Water-leaders – Second Accusation before Pilot; Remorse of Judas; Purchase of the Field of Blood
- Tilemakers – Second Trial before Pilate
- Butchers – Mortification of Christ; Burial
They are all written in vigorous alliterative verse
Alliterative verse
In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses alliteration as the principal structuring device to unify lines of poetry, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. The most commonly studied traditions of alliterative verse are those found in the oldest literature of many Germanic...
, as are other plays in the cycle. The distinctive feature, apart from the high quality of the writing, is the attention to incidental detail in the story-telling, and in the subtle portrayal of the negative characters, such as Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas. Playwright Peter Gill
Peter Gill (playwright)
Peter Gill, theatre director, playwright and former actor, was born in Cardiff, Wales, on 7 September 1939, son of George John Gill and his wife Margaret Mary .He was educated at St Illtyd's College, Cardiff.-Career:...
expressed the view that "If it hadn’t been for the York Realist, Shakespeare would have been a second rate writer like Goethe"
Modern Revival
After their suppression in Tudor times the plays remained little known until Lucy Toulmin SmithLucy Toulmin Smith
Lucy Toulmin Smith was an Anglo-American antiquarian and librarian, known for her first publication of the York Mystery Plays and other early works.- Life :...
obtained the permission of the Earl of Ashburnham
Earl of Ashburnham
The title Baron Ashburnham , of Ashburnham in the County of Sussex, was created in the Peerage of England in 1689 for John Ashburnham, grandson of the John Ashburnham who assisted King Charles I to escape from Oxford and Hampton Court Palace...
to study the manuscript of the plays, then in his possession, and in 1885 to publish her transcription, together with an introduction and short glossary.
In 1909, The York Historic Pageant included a parade of the banners of the Guilds through the streets, accompanying a wagon representing the Nativity. In December of the same year a selection of six of the plays was performed as a fund-raising venture for St Olave's Church, York
St Olave's Church, York
St Olave's is an Anglican church in York, England. It is situated on Marygate by St Mary's Abbey.The church is situated within St Mary's Abbey walls, which was ruined in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is dedicated to St Olaf, patron saint of Norway...
. The play cycle was revived on a much larger scale in 1951, in the York Festival of the Arts, as a part of the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
celebrations. This was performed on a fixed stage in the ruins of St Mary's Abbey
St Mary's Abbey, York
The Abbey of St Mary in York, once the richest abbey in the north of England, is a ruined Benedictine abbey that lies in what are now the Yorkshire Museum Gardens, on a steeply sloping site to the west of York Minster. The original abbey on the site was founded in 1055 and dedicated to Saint Olave...
in Museum Gardens
York Museum Gardens
The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along with the Yorkshire Museum which they contain.The gardens are...
and directed by E. Martin Browne
E. Martin Browne
E. Martin Browne was a British theatre director, known for his production of twentieth century verse plays. He collaborated for many years with T. S...
. The music, written for the occasion by James Brown
James Clifford Brown
-Life:James Clifford Brown, usually referred to as James Brown, was born in Ipswich on 18th August 1923. He was trained in singing and organ-playing by Jonathan Job, the Ipswich Borough Organist, then himself became organist and choirmaster at All Hallows' Church....
, was directed by Allan Wicks
Allan Wicks
Allan Wicks CBE was an English cathedral organist, who served in Canterbury Cathedral for nearly 30 years. He was an early champion of the music of Olivier Messiaen and Peter Maxwell Davies...
. The part of Jesus was played by Joseph O'Conor
Joseph O'Conor
Joseph O'Conor was an Anglo-Irish actor and playwright.- Early years :O'Conor was born in Dublin on 14 February 1916, the son of Frances and Daniel O'Conor. His family moved to London, where he attended the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, the University of London and RADA...
, with other roles taken by amateurs. In the interests of comprehensibility, the text was abbreviated and modernised by Canon J. S. Purvis. He later produced a modernisation of the complete text.
Following the great success of the 1951 production, which was the most widely applauded Festival of Britain event in the country, with over 26,000 people witnessing the plays, selections from the plays were staged in the same location at three-year intervals, lengthening to four-year intervals, until 1988. Usually there was a professional director and a professional actor to play Jesus, with the rest of the cast being local amateurs, though some of the latter, such as Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
, later became professionals. Directors included E. Martin Browne
E. Martin Browne
E. Martin Browne was a British theatre director, known for his production of twentieth century verse plays. He collaborated for many years with T. S...
again (1954, 1957, 1966), David Giles (1960), William Gaskill
William Gaskill
William 'Bill' Gaskill is a British theatre director.He worked alongside Laurence Olivier as a founding director of the National Theatre from its time at the Old Vic in 1963...
(1963), Edward Taylor (1969, 1973), Jane Howell (1976), Patrick Garland
Patrick Garland
thumb|right|200pxPatrick Garland is a British actor, writer, and director.Garland started Poetry International in 1963 with Ted Hughes and Charles Osborne. He was a director and producer for the BBC's Music and Arts Department , and worked on its Monitor series...
(1980), Toby Robertson (1984) and Steven Pimlott
Steven Pimlott
Steven Charles Pimlott OBE was an English opera and theatre director and actor. An obituary in The Times hailed him as "one of the most versatile and inventive theatre directors of his generation"...
(1988).
The role of Jesus was played a second time by Joseph O'Conor
Joseph O'Conor
Joseph O'Conor was an Anglo-Irish actor and playwright.- Early years :O'Conor was born in Dublin on 14 February 1916, the son of Frances and Daniel O'Conor. His family moved to London, where he attended the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, the University of London and RADA...
(1954), then by Brian Spink (1957), Tom Criddle, (1960), Alan Dobie
Alan Dobie
Alan Russell Dobie , is a British actor.Dobie was born in Wombwell, Yorkshire, England, to George Russell and Sarah Kate Dobie. His father was a mining engineer and his mother's family were farmers. He was married to actress Rachel Roberts from 1955-61 then married Maureen Scott in 1963...
(1963), John Westbrook
John Westbrook (actor)
John Westbrook was an English actor.Born in Teignmouth, Devon, John Westbrook worked mainly in theatre and in radio. He also made occasional film and television appearances. His most famous role was as Christopher Gough in Roger Corman's The Tomb of Ligeia...
(1966), John Stuart Anderson (1973), David Bradley
David Bradley (actor)
David Bradley is an English character actor. He has recently become known for playing the caretaker of Hogwarts, Argus Filch, in the Harry Potter film franchise.-Life and career :...
(1976), Christopher Timothy
Christopher Timothy
Christopher Timothy is a Welsh actor, television director and writer. Timothy is possibly best known today for his role as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small; more recently he has starred as Dr. Brendan 'Mac' McGuire in the British television drama Doctors...
(1980), Simon Ward
Simon Ward
Simon Ward is an English stage and film actor.-Early life:Simon Ward was born in Beckenham, Kent, near London, the son of a car dealer. From an early age he wanted to be an actor. He was educated at Alleyn's School, London, the home of the National Youth Theatre, which he joined at age 13 and...
(1984) and Victor Banerjee
Victor Banerjee
Victor Banerjee is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi, Bengali and English language films. He has also appeared on a number of TV series on Indian television...
(1988).
In 1992 the production was moved to the Theatre Royal
York Theatre Royal
The York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard's Place, York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 847 people. This reduced capacity takes into account removal of the mixing position seats and the stage side boxes which are normally not sold...
, with Robson Green
Robson Green
Robson Green is an English actor, singer–songwriter and presenter.-Biography:Robson Golightly Green was born in Hexham, Northumberland, and baptised in Bethel Chapel, , and named in Northeast tradition as first son after family surnames: Robson is his grandmother's maiden surname, while Golightly...
playing Christ. The 1996 production, in the same place, was all-amateur, with a script adapted by Liz Lochhead
Liz Lochhead
Liz Lochhead is a Scottish poet and dramatist, originally from Newarthill in North Lanarkshire.-Background:After attending Glasgow School of Art, Lochhead lectured in fine art for eight years before becoming a professional writer....
. For 2000, the interest of the Dean of York
Dean of York
The Dean of York is the member of the clergy who is responsible for the running of the York Minster cathedral.-11th–12th centuries:* 1093–c.1135: Hugh* c.1138–1143: William of Sainte-Barbe...
, Raymond Furnell
Raymond Furnell
The Very Reverend Dr Raymond Furnell was the Dean of York Minster from 1994 to 2003.His first ecclesiastical post was as curate at Cannock, in the Diocese of Lichfield, from 1965 to 1969. From there, he moved to become vicar of Clayton part of Newcastle-under-Lyme, a position he held from...
, led to the most ambitious production ever.
The York Millennium Mystery Plays
In 2000 a large-scale performance of the plays was staged in York MinsterYork Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
, known as The York Millennium Mystery Plays. Directed by Gregory Doran
Gregory Doran
Gregory Doran has been described by the Sunday Times as 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'He is currently the Chief Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company ....
, and with Ray Stevenson
Ray Stevenson (actor)
George Raymond "Ray" Stevenson is a Northern Irish-born English film and television actor. He is known for playing Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome , and in film as Dagonet in King Arthur and as Frank Castle/The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone and The Super Hero Squad Show...
in the role of Christ, the production was the most expensive and wide-reaching project in the history of the plays' modern revival. The first half began in Heaven with the story of the fall of Lucifer, followed by the creation of the world, the fall of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark (with impressive and memorable representations of the animals and the flood) and the story of Abraham and Isaac. From the New Testament there came the annunciation and nativity of Jesus, the massacre of the innocents, Christ's childhood, baptism, temptation and ministry, and his entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The second half concentrated on the capture and trial of Christ, and his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The production ended with the Last Judgement.
The production ran for a month, with a total audience of 28,000. Aside from the professional director and actor, Ray Stevenson, the cast was made up of amateurs, mainly from the York area. Over fifty children also took part in the play. Original music was written for the production by local composer, Richard Shepherd.
2012 production
A major production is planned for August 2012, returning to the Museum GardensYork Museum Gardens
The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along with the Yorkshire Museum which they contain.The gardens are...
. The script is to be adapted by Mike Kenny
Mike Kenny (writer)
Mike Kenny is a British playwright, most noted for his works in young people's theatre. His works include the 2008 adaptation of E Nesbit's The Railway Children at the National Railway Museum in York...
and the direction will be by Damian Cruden
Damian Cruden
-Career:Damian Cruden trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, 1982–1986. He then worked for the Tron Theatre and the TAG Theatre Company, and was tutor for the Scottish Youth Theatre. Moving to England, he became Co-artistic Director for the Liverpool Everyman Youth...
of York Theatre Royal
York Theatre Royal
The York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard's Place, York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 847 people. This reduced capacity takes into account removal of the mixing position seats and the stage side boxes which are normally not sold...
and Paul Burbidge of Riding Lights Theatre Company
Riding Lights Theatre Company
Riding Lights is a British independent theatre company which has toured shows nationally and internationally since 1977.Based at Friargate Theatre, York since 2000, the company has staged numerous original productions such as "Science Friction" and "Dick Turpin", that have toured nationally...
.
The Waggon Plays
An experimental production using brewers’ drayWagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
s and market stalls, was performed around Leeds University
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, in 1975.
In 1994 the Leeds-based historian Jane Oakshott worked alongside the Friends of York Mystery Plays, the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
and the York Early Music Festival
York Early Music Festival
The York Early Music Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music from the 18th century and earlier. It was established in 1977, and takes place in York each July at various venues such as York Minster, the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall at the University of York and the...
to direct in York the first processional performance of the plays in modern times. This production involved nine amateur drama groups each taking one of the plays, and touring it to five playing stations in the city using pageant waggons.
A production in a similar format in 1998 featured eleven of the plays, and for the first time the modern York Guilds were involved for some of the plays, either directly or as sponsors of performances.
For the 2002 production overall management shifted to a committee of the Guilds of York, namely The York Guild of Building, The Company of Merchant Taylors, The Company of Cordwainers, The Guild of Freemen, The Company of Butchers, The Guild of Scriveners and The Company of Merchant Adventurers. Ten plays were offered, again with the assistance of local drama groups.
In 2006, twelve waggons performed in the streets, in conjunction with the York Early Music Festival
York Early Music Festival
The York Early Music Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music from the 18th century and earlier. It was established in 1977, and takes place in York each July at various venues such as York Minster, the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall at the University of York and the...
. Two complementary collections of images of this production: 'wide angle' and 'zoomed in'
The 2010 production again featured twelve waggons, performing at four stations. At the same time the only known surviving manuscript of the plays was on display at York Art Gallery
York Art Gallery
thumb|right|York Art Gallery and statue of William Etty, by Stanley HoweYork Art Gallery in York, North Yorkshire, England is a public art gallery with a collection of paintings, from 14th century to contemporary, and 20th-century ceramics...
Language in modern productions
In general, modern performances of the plays use some degree of modernisation of the text, either by a radical policy of replacing all obsolete word and phrases by modern equivalents, or at least by using modern pronunciations. An exception is the productions of the Lords of Misrule, a dramatic group composed of students and recent graduates of the Department of Medieval Studies at the University of YorkUniversity of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
. Their presentations use the authentic Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
both in the words used and in their pronunciation. They have regularly contributed one of the waggon play productions.
The unaltered Middle English text
- The first publication was that of Toulmin Smith in 1885. This was republished in 1963 and again in 2007.
- A century later Richard Beadle felt the time was ripe for re-examination of the manuscript, and he published a facsimile edition.
- Beadle also published a transcription of the text with notes and glossary. This included many minor amendments to Toulmin Smith's work, but no major surprises.
- Beadle's 1982 text has been put on-line at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and at the University of VirginiaUniversity of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
Because this has been constrained to use a modern alphabet, the obsolete letters thornThorn (letter)Thorn or þorn , is a letter in the Old English, Old Norse, and Icelandic alphabets, as well as some dialects of Middle English. It was also used in medieval Scandinavia, but was later replaced with the digraph th. The letter originated from the rune in the Elder Fuþark, called thorn in the...
and yoghYoghThe letter yogh , was used in Middle English and Older Scots, representing y and various velar phonemes. It was derived from the Old English form of the letter g.In Middle English writing, tailed z came to be indistinguishable from yogh....
, which are correctly reproduced in the printed version, here appear as "th" and "yo" respectively. - More recently Beadle has revised and enhanced his work into two volumes, the first containing an introduction, the text and musical settings accompanying the plays and the second containing notes, glossary and discussion.
Edition in modern spelling
- The version of Beadle and King contains a transcription of 22 of the plays into modern spelling. This is not unambiguously a benign process; where the modernisation involves the loss of a syllable it has just been dropped, which in general damages the scansion, for example is the Middle English word "withouten", which in this edition appears as "without". The Middle English ending "-and" for the present participle has been changed to the modern equivalent "-ing", but retained where the "-and" was required for a rhyme.
Modernised editions
- The first complete full modernisation was that of J. S. Purvis.
- A more recent complete modernisation is that of Chester N. Scoville and Kimberley M. Yates in Toronto.
Adaptations and related plays
- The MysteriesThe Mysteries (play)The Mysteries is a version of the medieval English mystery plays presented at London's National Theatre in 1977. The cycle of three plays tells the story of the Bible from the creation to the last judgement....
is a play by poet Tony HarrisonTony HarrisonTony Harrison is an English poet and playwright. He is noted for controversial works such as the poem V and Fram, as well as his versions of ancient Greek tragedies, including the Oresteia and Hecuba...
based on the York and Wakefield Mystery Cycles. - The York RealistThe York RealistThe York Realist is a 2001 play by Peter Gill. It was premiered at the Lowry in November 2001 before moving to the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Court Theatre in January 2002 by English Touring Theatre, with Gill himself directing...
, by Peter GillPeter Gill (playwright)Peter Gill, theatre director, playwright and former actor, was born in Cardiff, Wales, on 7 September 1939, son of George John Gill and his wife Margaret Mary .He was educated at St Illtyd's College, Cardiff.-Career:...
, is set around a 1960s performance of the Plays. - Anthony MinghellaAnthony MinghellaAnthony Minghella, CBE was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007....
's Two Planks and a Passion is set around a c.1397 performance of the plays for Richard IIRichard II of EnglandRichard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. A radio production (starring Bill NighyBill NighyWilliam Francis "Bill" Nighy is an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer Prof...
, Julia McKenzieJulia McKenzieJulia McKenzie is an English actress, singer, and theatre director. She is best-known for her performance in Fresh Fields, but to current television audiences, she is best known for her role as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple...
, Julian FellowesJulian FellowesJulian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
and Tim McInnernyTim McInnernyTim McInnerny is an English actor. He is known for his role as Percy in Blackadder and Blackadder II, and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth...
) directed by the author was re-broadcast in 2008.
External links
- History of York Page with watercolour of the plays
- A computer simulation of the pageant