Venue: York Museum Gardens
Date: Thu 02 Aug - Mon 27 Aug
Time: 7.30pm with 2.30pm matinees (Sat). BSL interpreted Wed 22 Aug, 7.30pm / Audio Described Thu 23 Aug 7.30pm, Sat 25 Aug 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Produced by: York Theatre Royal, York Museums Trust, Riding Lights Theatre Company
Written by: Mike Kenny
Directed by: Paul Burbridge and Damian Cruden
Designed by: Sean Kavanagh
Costumes: Anna Gooch
Lighting: Richard G Jones
Music by: Christopher Madin
Reviews
Thu 09 Aug 2012
Written by Sam Marlowe
4 Stars: "This is a true ensemble piece, and occasional rough edges only emphasise its unaffected passion and authenticity."
Thu 09 Aug 2012
Written by Ian Youngs
The York Mystery Plays, a theatrical tradition dating back to the 14th Century, have been resurrected in an epic production involving an Olivier Award-winning director and 1,700 enthusiastic local people.
Thu 09 Aug 2012
Written by Martin Wainwright
For the first time since 1988, the York Mystery Plays have returned to their natural, outdoor setting amid the ruins of St Mary's abbey. Their home-coming is a triumph.
Thu 09 Aug 2012
Written by James Eaglesfield
Prior to stepping in to the impressive temporary theatrical arena built in front of the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey in York’s Museum Gardens, I had decided to avoid using the word epic in this review of the York Mystery Plays 2012. Having enjoyed over three hours of gripping, emotional and completely mesmerising community theatre it became blindingly obvious that such a challenge would be futile.
Thu 09 Aug 2012
Written by Ron Powls
In existence since at least 1399, suppressed during the Reformation of the 1570s, each new production of the York Mystery Plays has, since being revived in 1951, been eagerly awaited, each attempting to build on a great tradition, while making them fresh and accessible for a new audience.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Written by Julia Pattison, The Pocklington Post
Produced by York Theatre Royal, Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Museums Trust and supported by City of York Council, York Mystery Plays returned to York Museum Gardens in spectacular style.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Written by Jason Rose and Jamie Beckett
The York Mystery Plays were originally a series of plays performed by the city’s craft guilds on the Feast of Corpus Christi from the 1300s until 1569. They were a way of celebrating the Guilds' achievements and also the biblical narrative, from the creation of the world through to Christ and the Final Judgement. After the 1951 revival, the Plays were modernised and performed every three years until 1969 and every four years since. This year represented a phenomenal up-sizing and increased scope, presenting the largest-scale Mystery Plays in history.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Written by Amy Claire Thompson
Technically spectacular and performed with such passion and gusto, the York Mystery Plays 2012 are truly something special. Theatre on a truly cinematic scale, it is ironic that they will probably not be half so special when they live-stream on August 11th: there was just something about the atmosphere which could never be reproduced on screen.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Written by Charles Hutchinson
God created the world in six days and then he rested on the seventh. It has taken 12 long years and more than a million pounds to create the York Mystery Plays 2012, the first in the Museum Gardens since 1988 and the first on the grandest scale since Gregory Doran’s awe-inspiring production in York Minster in 2000.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Written by Julia Parry
In a time of increasing atheism and a statistical deterioration of christianity it may have seemed like a brave time to bring back such a tradition as The Mystery Plays. What is however apparent is that personal belief has very little to do with the spectacle and community of this historic melodrama. The timeless show witnessed last night in the Museum Gardens was as stunning and moving as watching the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games; albeit scaled down to the size of a small city rather than that of a nation, Yorkshire’s pride in its history overflowed.
Fri 10 Aug 2012
Written by Steve Pratt
The sound of thunder rends the air. Several times loud cracks of thunder echo ominously around Museum Gardens in the centre of York. But nobody runs for cover to take shelter from the approaching storm because the thunder isn’t real. Technicians are testing the sound system for the York Mystery Plays 2012 ahead of opening night.
Mon 13 Aug 2012
Written by Rosie Revell
In keeping with York Theatre Royal’s tradition of ground breaking, unique and totally memorable productions, more than 36,000 people are set to experience the North’s most spectacular piece of theatre this summer. Last staged here in 1988 the York Mystery Plays have returned to the impressive ruins of St Mary’s Abbey in the museum gardens. It’s a huge undertaking for all involved and there’s an incredible number of people who have taken part, 1700 plus locals, at the last count, as well as a large professional team from York Theatre Royal and Riding Lights Theatre Company. The cast is 500 strong led by two professional actors; Ferdinand Kingsley and Graeme Hawley playing God/Jesus and the Devil respectively.
Tue 14 Aug 2012
Written by Jean Richards
The York ‘Mystery Plays’, based on a medieval cycle of some 50 playlets originally performed on carts by working men’s guilds, now happen once every four years. 2012 is the year, and given other anniversaries and events - the Jubilee, the Olympics, and not least the 800th anniversary of the granting of York city charter - it was always likely that this production of the Mystery Plays would be a big event, to rival that of the millennium in 2000, and so it is.
Tue 14 Aug 2012
Written by Clare Brennan
The gothic arched windows of St Mary's Abbey point to no roof but the sky. Like the Mystery plays, the abbey was suppressed during the Reformation of the 16th century. Today its ruined walls provide a stunning setting for these revived medieval texts. Stone tracery patterns the darkening sky. As the sun sets, stage lights seem to shine more brightly on the hundreds-strong community cast performing these stories of creation, fall and redemption.
Tue 14 Aug 2012
Written by Will Ramsey
The Biblical drama - staged on a multi-layered wooden set built into the walls of St Mary’s Abbey - becomes a gripping story of human greed and hubris. With what appear to be echoes of the Second World War - the look of the drama was inspired by the religious-themed paintings of Stanley Spencer - the production draws parallels with the horrors of the 20th century: here, King Herod, with his black cape and jack-boots, struts about like a Nazi commander.
Tue 14 Aug 2012
Written by Jade Montserrat
Before the production even begins, York Museum Gardens is pulsating. As the spectacle gallops ahead the audience experiences an energetic, exciting buzz. The anticipation, as God (played by the inescapably dashing, heroic-looking actor, Ferdinand Kingsley) scrawls his plans for creation on the enormous thrust stage, mounts and accelerates.
Tue 14 Aug 2012
Written by
With the sun glistening through the hallowed remains of St Mary’s Abbey, almost from the outset it seemed that there would be something slightly magical about this performance of the Mystery Plays. Fortunately, I was not left disappointed. Each word perfectly enunciated and each character charmingly conveyed, this admittedly long, yet consistently captivating piece of work was a real triumph for directors Paul Burbridge and Damian Cruden.
Tue 14 Aug 2012
Written by Laura Thompson
4 Stars: "The York Mystery Plays, a cycle tracing biblical history from the Creation to the Last Judgment, have been staged in the city since the 14th century. Essentially they were the first community theatre, performed by the local craftsmen’s guilds, who would sometimes take appropriate stories for themselves: the goldsmiths became the Magi, and the butchers enacted the death of Christ."
Thu 16 Aug 2012
Written by Alfred Hickling
5 stars: "one is buoyed by the euphoric swell of many hundreds of volunteers converging to celebrate the heritage of their city."
Fri 31 Aug 2012
Written by Pauline Flannery
As the sun sets on Danny Boyle’s Olympic Dreams, the people of York are stealing a bit of London pride. For while York celebrates 800 years under Royal Charter, 1212, its Mystery Plays are synonymous with a civic pride which date from 1399.
Fri 31 Aug 2012
Written by Pat Ashworth
London has had the Olympics, but York has had the Mystery Plays. It might seem a ludicrous comparison, but the scale of the production had to be seen to be believed, and its legacy is assured.
The medieval cycle of York Mystery Plays has been told by the people of York for hundreds of years and is deeply embedded in the City's cultural heritage.
From the creation to the last judgement, the history of humanity so far is undoubtedly the greatest story ever told. Drawing inspiration from the authentic texts this eternal battle between good and evil forces will be presented on an operatic scale under summer York skies and the brooding cosmos beyond.
In summer 2012 this bold and dynamic new production sees the plays return to York Museum Gardens, for the first time on this scale since 1988. A 1400 seat bespoke theatre is being built around the ancient walls of St Mary's Abbey to house this international event, which celebrates the York 800 City charter birthday and the Cultural Olympiad.
Produced by York Theatre Royal, Riding Lights Theatre Company and York Museums Trust and supported by City of York Council, this new adaptation of the York Mystery Plays is written by Mike Kenny, who adapted York Theatre Royal and the National Railway Museum's Olivier award-winning production of The Railway Children. Over 1000 local people will join forces with a huge professional team to help create this spectacular production.
Join a guided tour around the York Mystery Plays set at St Mary's Abbey. See how it works and hear exactly what goes on behind the scenes in order to stage a production on this scale. The tour will last about 40 minutes and will include tea/coffee and slice of cake.
Dates: Thu 9, Fri 10, Thu 16, Fri 17, Fri 24 Aug
Time: 3.30pm
Tour and Tea Ticket: £10, available from York Theatre Royal Box office (01904 623568)
Capacity: 20 people
The Space is a new way to access and experience all of the arts - for free. It is funded by the BBC and Arts Council England.
Available on computer, tablet, smartphone and connected TV, The Space invites you to take part in the biggest summer of arts the UK has ever seen, whenever you want it and wherever you happen to be.
You can watch full performances, catch unmissable live events, delve into rare archive and explore interactive collections. The Space is also a place where everybody can experiment with ideas and play with images, text and sound.
As part of this exciting project, Pilot Theatre will work alongside livestream company Kinura, to enable people from all over the world to view the spectacular York Mystery Plays 2012 this Summer. Visitors to The Space website will be able to create a bespoke version of the production and assemble a personalised playlist from the 6 different camera angles and multiple audio feeds recorded from the live event.
More than 30,000 people are expected to attend the York Mystery Plays 2012, which is set to be one of the cultural highlights of the summer. We hope to enable many more people around the globe to experience this truly incredible project.
York Mystery Cycle Workshops
Wed 7, 14, 21, 28 Mar
Precious Cargo
From Sat 7 Apr
The Missing Mysteries
Wed 11 - Thu 12 Apr
Wagon Performances
Tue 1 - Sun 20 May
YorkWalk
Thu 2 - Sun 26 Aug
Modern Mysteries
Thu 7 - 27 Aug
York Mystery Cycle Lectures
Sun 12 & Sun 26 Aug
Proms in the Garden
Mon 20 Aug
Related News
Thu 04 Oct 2012
The TMA will hold its annual Theatre Awards UK at London’s historic Guildhall, on Sunday 28 October 2012.
Mon 17 Sep 2012
You can now watch the whole of York Mystery Plays 2012 again for free and from the comfort of your own home on The Space website. Click for details.
Fri 07 Sep 2012
Items for sale will include costumes made from scratch from our team of 120 costume volunteers, clothes and accessories sourced from charity shops and pieces donated from the public. Some items are original vintage and some have been handmade to be in a 30s/40s/50s style - either way this is a chance to pick up some unique for a good price.
Thu 16 Aug 2012
Despite some sold-out shows, there are still good tickets available for this spectacular show over the next fortnight.
Thu 09 Aug 2012
There are some bizarre items on the agenda of today's production meeting at York Theatre Royal. Topics include "dinosaur topiary" and Pontius Pilate's underwear, while the wardrobe supervisor is anxious to know God's measurements.
Fri 03 Aug 2012
York's Mystery Plays, which begin a month-long run on Thursday, will be a "spectacular" event for the city, organisers have pledged.
Fri 03 Aug 2012
This month’s York Mystery Plays has produced an exciting response from J-Night and York Theatre Royal, the York Mystery Soul Festival, six summer nights of hot jazz, gospel and soul music, running August 10-25.
Mon 30 Jul 2012
With The York Mystery Plays 2012 about to open, Charles Hutchinson profiles three key players in the production.
Fri 27 Jul 2012
Ever wondered what the Mystery Plays site build might look like if you took a photo of it every minute for 3 weeks, sped it up to watch in under 2 minutes and added some epic music? Wonder no more!
Wed 25 Jul 2012
Featuring National Brass Band Championship finalists Shepherd Group Brass Band and York Railway Institute Band.
Wed 25 Jul 2012
Available from York Theatre Royal and the Yorkshire Museum shop.
Tue 24 Jul 2012
The Archbishop of York has inspected the final preparations for an event billed as Britain's biggest outdoor theatre production.
Tue 24 Jul 2012
An actor from Cawood, who returned to the stage after a 40 year absence, has landed a part in the York Mystery Plays starting in August.
Tue 24 Jul 2012
Extra Park&Ride services are to be laid on as the York Mystery Plays return to the city next month.
Mon 23 Jul 2012
With 600 performers and 1,700 volunteers working round the clock, Nick Ahad goes behind the scenes of York’s Mystery Places and finds a production on an epic scale.
Fri 20 Jul 2012
The two casts for Mike Kenny’s new adaptation of the York Mystery Plays take to the Museum Gardens stage for the first time.
Thu 19 Jul 2012
Tickets have now all but sold out for some matinee performances of the York Mystery Plays , as box office staff have been swamped with inquiries.
Tue 17 Jul 2012
SCORES of singers and brass band players are preparing to bring music to the York Mystery Plays next month.
Thu 12 Jul 2012
York Theatre Royal Young Actors Company presents 'My shoes are pointier than yours'
Wed 11 Jul 2012
In spite of the current weather conditions, the roof has now been secured, guaranteeing that all audience members remain covered and dry throughout each performance.
Tue 10 Jul 2012
Yesterday, HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York visited the City as part of the York800 charter day celebrations. He visited the 1212 exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum and the build site of York Mystery Plays 2012. See photos...
Sat 30 Jun 2012
We had a chat with Ferdinand Kingsley (Playing God/Jesus) and Graeme Hawley (Playing Satan) about their involvement in the York Mystery Plays 2012. Want to know what they had to say?
Wed 20 Jun 2012
Princess Beatrice of York paid a special visit to the York Mystery Plays costume workshops on Tuesday to see some of the 3,000 items of costume being made.
Tue 29 May 2012
The actor who played one of Coronation Street’s most infamous villains will play the Devil in York Mystery Plays 2012.
Thu 24 May 2012
We are excited to announce that Ferdinand Kingsley will play God and Jesus in this summers York Mystery Plays
Wed 09 May 2012
Pilot Theatre are hosting a fortnightly "behind-the-scenes" broadcast every other Tuesday at 6pm.
Tue 20 Mar 2012
James Eaglesfield, a York Mystery Plays 2012 volunteer with the Marketing Department, explains his role in publicising the event and why he got involved to start with.
Wed 22 Feb 2012
With two casts of 300, the Mystery Plays have many people to costume – and we need your help!
Wed 11 Jan 2012
This week and next represent the last chance to come and audition to be on stage for The York Mystery Plays.
Your Comments
Multimedia
York Mystery Plays 2012 - Photographers Pool
York Mystery Plays 2012 - Building the stage
York Mystery Plays 2012 - Community Involvement
Mystery Plays - First Read Through
Meeting Satan (Graeme Hawley) for the first time
York Mystery Plays 2012 - The Artistic Vision
Meeting God/Jesus (Ferdinand Kingsley) for the first time
York Mystery Plays 2012 - Production photos
York Mystery Plays 2012 - Talking to God and Satan
York Mystery Plays 2012 - The Flood
York Mystery Plays 2012 - Cinematic Trailer