This symbol indicates items which are actually on this site.

• General
  • The official site
  • List of production programmes so far uploaded
  • Back-office reports - accounts and head counts
  • Mystery plays article on Wikipedia with picture from our 2004 production
   
• 2004 - The n-Town Plays
  • Judith Elbourne as Mrs God (the Holy Ghost)
    - in this production she also played Mrs Herod (aka Mariamne)
   
• 2002 - The York Plays
  • Judith Elbourne as Mrs Noah
   
• 2001 - The Towneley / Wakefield Cycle
  • The Magi - Eileen Mills, Andrew Dobson and Edward Weedon. (Eileen taking a man’s part. Ted taking an acting role - he usually sticks to SM-ism. Perhaps two people had dropped out at short notice.)
   
• 2000 - various cycles
  • Eileen Mills as Mrs Noah in The Newcastle Shipwrights' play of Noah’s Ark
   
• Other years
  • 1999 - Three shepherdesses in the n-Town shepherd’s play
  • 1996 - Finale of The Players' 50th Anniversary Production
     
  • List of production programmes so far uploaded  
   
• Contacts
  • Email us here if you are interested in watching or performing
  • View or sign our Guest Book
   
• Other links
  • The York Corpus Christi Pageant Simulator - a wonderful animated map showing the progress of each wagon.  See Trailers and Trailers below
  • The Brewers of St Peter
  • A picture of Horberie Shrogys. Not the place - that looks like Bowness-on-Windermere but the people are Horberie Shrogys (which link also explains what a shrogys is)
  • St Peter’s Players, Wolvercote, Oxford - no connection but we must contact them some time
  • St Peter’s Players, Roath, Cardiff - ditto
   

Texts available on the Web Cycle Original Modernis/zed Chester Maine n-Town Corpus Christi Hegge Maine Toronto This site - a few of the plays Wakefield Towneley Michigan Kindle-ready versions Virginia * Actual scripts of some of our 2016 prod­uction York Michigan Rochester, NY Virginia * Toronto Scripts of our 2017 prod­uction All four of the above plus fragments Maine Coventry Archive.org The Castle of Perseverance eBooksRead Toronto * - links to University of Virginia are currently broken		Trailers and Trailers The author of the n-Town plays provided what in cinematic terms we would now call a trailer.  It plods through from: In the first pageant we think to play How God did make through his own might Heaven so clear upon the first day … In the second pageant, by God’s might, We think to show and play the scene In the other six days, by open sight, What thing was wrought. … right through to: Then followeth next, surely, Of Whitsuntide, that solemn feast, Which pageant shall be nine and thirty. … The fortieth pageant shall be the last, And Doomsday that pageant shall be called Who sees that pageant might be aghast To grieve his Lord God never at all. … and finishing with: On Sunday next, if that we may, At six of the bell we begin our play In N-town; [hence the name] wherefore we pray That God now be your speed. (Substitute actual date, time and location when performing.)  The original manuscript has a time of six but when it says six it means 6am!  They had to start that early if they were going to perform all the plays in a day.  We know that in some cities the plays were performed from the back of wagons or pageants (the other sort of trailer) - one play per wagon.   Normally I support the Any Browser Campaign but for Dennis G. Jerz’s York Corpus Christi Pageant Simulator I am prepared to make an exception - I had to borrow my son’s Apple Mac to see it properly.   The simulator works out where each wagon would be minute by minute during the course of Corpus Christi Day.  Performing 48 plays at 16 stations using Toronto running times takes 22 hours - which would leave them playing by candle-light till four of the bell.  To use Olive Stubbs’s phrase, theses have been written on this subject and Dennis Jerz discusses them on this page.   Dennis Jerz says he has never been to York but then if you are seeing the plays at 500 years distance what difference does 3000 miles make?   Quite an extensive web site worth exploring lies beyond the Simulator.  Its Site Map double-counts a lot of pages but it is still a decent-sized site.  And just to confuse you, there are two different pages both entitled A Christ Taken Prisoner.   The site includes a Glossary which may be useful especially for those who approach the plays from a dramatic rather than a religious background.  One page about a certain famous conical bra is there for comparison with the holy relics of earlier times.  (And why not - it was worn by a Madonna with interesting religious leanings.)   I won't ask the props department to do the fancy crowns but the exposed breast seems to be canonical.
Somewhere between Salerno and Amalfi S. Maria delle Grazie, Montepertuso  |  ditto Chiesa di San Domenico, Cesena S. Maria delle Grazie, Avellino Silvia Miotti in 2008
		S. Maria delle Grazie, Mazzarà S. Andrea (ME), Sicilia - image too poor even by my standards.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(At least for the pages it is.) 
 
The Players offstage

In this group before you can act on the stage, you have to mantle it.  And when it would be all over for most groups, you have to dismantle it.

• 2009 preparations, backstage and outtakes
• 2008: preparations and backstage | video clips
• 2008 departure from of St Paul Shadwell
• 2007 preparations including Shadwell → Toynbee move
• 2006 preparations
• 2004 Stage-down day

Beardyman
Someone has developed a strange obsession about Peter Evans, one of the Players. See my page and the blog.

On the web
There is a least one member of the group who says "I have never seen the web"! But a growing number do have presences there. This list is a wiki page so if you are not on it, add yourself!

Obituary
Sadly, four of our members died during 2006:

• Beverley Ashill who had moved marvellously as Mercy (here line 89) for us in 2004 succumbed to cancer but not before she had written a poem (movie of her reading it) inspired by her suffering which has become part of the Rosetta Requiem project. Other links for Beverley.
• Eileen Mills - see separate article (please add to it if you knew Eileen)
• John Povey had performed with us for many years
• Francis Stephenson (female) had been secretary to Alan Cook, rector of St Peter-upon-Cornhill and had run our box office for several years

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nothing worth looking at below here.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Roger Haworth’s ego trip (I told you there was nothing worth looking at.) Top of this page   1981 - Lambeth Players performing the Chester Cycle Pontius Pilate in the Passion play - my first role in a mystery play   My first experience of The Players. I arrived late. The church was in darkness and then a lurid green light was shone on the pulpit and a weird figure arose: Sybil the Sage. Then the figure spoke with the unmistakable voice of Eileen Mills and the magic was greatly diminished, at least for me. Looking at the cast lists, this must have been 1981. Did I really wait five years before I joined?   1986 - my first performance with the Players of St Peter - it was also Olive’s first year as director. But she had been acting with the group since July 1977.   1999 - As Gabriel in the Salutation of Mary into which the Parliament of Heaven scene segues. I love this scene because Gabriel does not flutter down and tell Mary she is going to be impregnated. Instead he asks her permission and waits patiently for her reply.   2000 - various cycles The Norwich Grocers Play: The Fall of Man the Holy Ghost consoles Adam and Eve The York Hosiers Play: Moses and Pharaoh Moses and the burning bush Moses confronts Pharoah Moses parts the Red Sea the Israelites rejoice after crossing the Red Sea   2001 - The Wakefield Cycle The Second Shepherds Play Mak the Sheep Stealer pretends to be a yeoman but … … the shepherds are not fooled   2003 - The Chester Cycle The Moses and the Law Moses presents the Tablets to his folk  (photo by Olive) ditto (Simon’s version) The Nativity - Census and Tribute Citizen hearing the news that he has to pay the Poll Tax and … … reluctantly queueing up to pay it The Shepherds on the Hill Harvey sews a clout upon his heel  (Judith’s version) ditto (Simon’s version)  Note the leeks in the bag.  From this photo click on the '… >' button for lots more - right through to … … The Shepherds all resolve to lead better lives The Massacre of the Innocents Soldier   2009 - The N-Town Cycle Parliament of Heaven and Salutation of Mary The Holy Ghost in the background watching Gabriel persuade Mary to be impregnated (see 1999 above). I am on tenterhooks as to whether she will say "yes". Fortunately at every performance she did assent and I was able to relax.   2000 - All Simon’s photos of me for recent years   Sghroys - is the Google-unique word for this page. That is shrogys as in Horberie Shrogys (see above) with the 'g' transposed.

Roger’s home page

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