York’s Mystery Plays

This August, York is celebrating its own visitor event of the summer, entirely unconnected with the Olympics. York Theatre Royal, Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Museums Trust have collaborated to produce a new adaptation of the York Mystery Play Cycle.

The Mystery Plays were first performed in the Middle Ages, as a way of telling Bible stories to the ordinary people. Each story was produced by a different Guild, or ‘Mystery’, of tradesmen; for example, the Crucifixion was, with a rather cruel irony, staged by the Butchers’ Guild. The plays were often very funny and were performed on wagons on the streets of the city, thus going right to the heart of the local community.

York boasts one of the most complete surviving cycles of Mystery Plays. For this year’s production (as part of the York 800 celebrations), Mike Kenny has produced a new adaptation of the original text, condensing the different tales into one play. However, many important features of the Mystery Plays remain, most notably the significance for the local community. This production involved 1700 backstage and creative volunteers, who were involved in various areas, from Front of House to photography. Having an interest in theatrical costumes that may well surpass my ability to actually make them, I signed myself up to help with the mammoth task of making costumes for a double cast of over 500 people. Since February, I have been duly spending three enjoyable hours a week on a whole range of obscure sewing jobs, and narrowly missing HRH Princess Beatrice, who came on a royal visit to the costume department.

However, watching the performance nearly six months later, searching for my various (and somewhat humble) contributions to the splendid costumes, I began to realise that, truly, no contribution had been too small for this overwhelmingly large-scale production. This was proved to be literally the case, when I eventually, I think, managed to identify the blouse I had so proudly made, on what can only be described as the smallest cast member, who can’t have been more than three years old. It was a proud moment. Genuinely. To have been, in my small way, part of a production which, in the flesh, was a magnificent pageant of colour and spectacle, conflict and tension, was quite something. The decision to have professional actors (Ferdinand Kingsley and Graeme Hawley) to play God/Jesus and Satan was a good one. They interacted with the other, locally cast, parts perfectly.

In true Yorkshire style, the production was both helped and hindered by the weather, which had been steadily worsening as we headed towards the Crucifixion. By the time we reached the Harrowing of Hell, a giant thunderclap prompted a short pause in the performance. Unfortunately for me, a pre-booked East-Coast ticket called, so I was left, on the train, to wonder what the Last Judgment must be like…

The York Mystery Plays are at the Museum Gardens, 2-27 August. http://www.yorkmysteryplays-2012.com