York Mystery Plays
Two long, composite, and late mystery pageants have survived from the Coventry cycle and there are records and fragments from other similar productions that took place elsewhere.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: 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".[3] In 1909, the York Historic Pageant included a parade of guild banners accompanying a wagon representing the Nativity through the streets.[7] In December the same year a selection of six plays was performed as a fund-raising venture for St Olave's Church, York.It was performed on a fixed stage in the ruins of St Mary's Abbey in the Museum Gardens and directed by E. Martin Browne.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), local York man David Bradley (1976), Christopher Timothy (1980), Simon Ward (1984) and Victor Banerjee (1988).The 1996 production in the same place was all-amateur, with the part of Jesus played by local solicitor Rory Mulvihill, and the script shortened by Lochhead.With Ray Stevenson in the role of Christ and Rory Mulvihill (Jesus in 1996) as Satan, the production was the most expensive and wide-reaching project in the history of the plays' modern revival.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.[19] The show involved more than 1,000 local volunteers working alongside theatre professionals in all areas of the production, including 500 amateur actors organised into two casts who shared the 30-performance run.An exception is the productions of the Lords of Misrule, a dramatic group[46] composed of students and recent graduates of the Department of Medieval Studies at the University of York.
Middle Englishmystery playscreationLast JudgmentCorpus ChristiChester Mystery PlaysTowneley/Wakefield playsN-Town playsCoventry cyclemanuscriptBritish Librarypageant wagonsCraft GuildsAlan DobieNew TestamentsReformationVirginTannersLuciferPlasterersCardmakersAdam and EveFullersCoopersFall of ManArmourersGloversCain and AbelShipwrightsFishersMarinersParchmentersBookbindersAbraham and IsaacHosiersDeparture of the Israelites from EgyptTen PlaguesCrossing the Red SeaSpicersAnnunciationVisitationPewterersFoundersJosephTile-thatchersNativity of JesusChandlersAnnunciation to the shepherdsAdoration of the ShepherdsMasonsThree KingsGoldsmithsAdorationMarshalsFlight into EgyptGirdlersNailersMassacre of the InnocentsSpurriersLorimersChrist with the DoctorsBarbersBaptism of JesusSmithsTemptation of JesusCurriersTransfigurationCapmakersWoman Taken in AdulteryRaising of LazarusSkinnersJesus' entry into JerusalemCutlersPilateCaiaphasBargain of JudasBakersLast SupperCordwainersBetrayalArrestBowyersFletchersDenial of PeterJesus before CaiaphasTapitersPilate's wifePilate's courtListersTrial before HerodField of BloodTilemakersShearmenChrist LedCalvaryPaintersCrucifixionButchersMortificationBurialSaddlersHarrowing of HellCarpentersResurrectionWinedrawersMary MagdaleneSledmenTravellers to EmmausHatmakersLabourersPurification of MarySimeonScrivenersThomasTailorsAscensionPottersDescent of the Holy SpiritDrapersDeath of MaryWeaversOstlersAssumptionCoronation of the VirginMercersJudgement Day