THE MYSTERIES: NATIVITY

Wed 19 - Sat 22 December 2001
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Sheep Street, Northampton

Photo gallery

The play is based upon the English Medieval Mystery plays of York, Chester, Townley (Wakefield) and Coventry of which four complete cycles survive.

They were written in the middle-ages by working men and craftsmen’s guilds assisted by dramatic poets.

The original presentations of the plays were performed during Corpus Christi on carts passing various locations (stations) in the city throughout the day.

Tony Harrison has taken these cycles and welded them into three separate and infinitely varied plays: The Nativity, The Passion and Doomsday, the complete trilogy lasting some six hours.

The Nativity was completed in 1981 and its first production by The National Theatre in l985 received universal acclaim.

A concern with the register and feel of the medieval language keeps the origins of the play alive while the stage directions bring the production firmly into the 20th century.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Sheep Street, Northampton, is the, magnificent setting for the Masque Theatre's latest production.

The actors will be marking the festive season by performing Tony Harrison’s play The Nativity at the church from December 19 to December 22.

The production, which combines music, dance and comedy, tells the Biblical story from the creation of the world through to the Christmas story and the death of Herod.

A cast of 34 people includes Owen Warr as God, Jan Stoppani as Gabriel, Scott Bradley as Adam, Lynette Ashton as Eve and Rob Kendall as Herod.

Northampton band Hobson’s Choice will provide music ranging from traditional Christmas carols to Bob Dylan.

The play is based on the English Medieval Mystery plays of York, Chester, Townley and Coventry of which four complete cycles survive.