Christmas Day The Mysteries

Subject: Christmas Day The Mysteries
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 01:09 PM

Classic FM is offering a modern dramatisation of the Christmas Mysteries on Christmas Day at 6pm.

"This year an all-star cast presents a new play set in the first year of The Wakefield Mysteries – medieval pageants performed in Wakefield, in the late Middle-Ages.

"A comic drama shot through with English Classical music and drawing on the original Christmas plays from The Towneley Cycle, the production fields a cast including Jack Shepherd, Catherine Cusack, Mark Benton, Simon Greenall and Jasper Britton.

"The Christmas Mysteries is written by David Spicer, known for his many comedies, including Two Off the Tee, Double Income No Kids Yet and Polyoaks. He also adapted Michael Morpurgo's On Angel Wings for Classic FM last year. The production is being supported by Jerusalem Productions.

"The Story: It's early 15th century Wakefield in Yorkshire and Master William, late of Kirkstall Abbey, is burning the candle at both ends. 'Merrie Wakefield' is preparing its first public pageant: an entire cycle of plays telling all the Bible stories from The Creation to Judgement Day.

"It's to be performed by the Guilds of the City of Wakefield, who can be unruly, and Master William has to co-ordinate the whole thing!
Master William is profoundly passionate about his work, but it is politically ticklish. As man who has left his calling as a monk to marry, he has a tarnished reputation as it is. Dramatising the Bible, and in English to boot, is fraught with danger - heresy is, of course, a capital offence. The church is only reluctantly giving its consent to this whole enterprise and any suspicion of irreverence on the part of the players could prove catastrophic.

"Most of the plays are turning out well, but the Christmas ones are proving difficult, particularly the one being rehearsed by the Guild of Tanners. They've been allotted The Shepherd's Play – largely because of their access to an exhaustible supply of sheepskins. A more troublesome group of malodorous clowns would be hard to find….

"Full Cast: Jack Shepherd (Wycliffe), Mark Benton (Early Doors, Northern Lights, Murphy's Law), Catherine Cusack (Neverland, Ballykissangel), Simon Greenall (Voice of Alexandr the Meerkat, Pete Versus Life, Saxondale), Jasper Britton (RSC. National Theatre, Theatre de Complicite), Edmund Kingsley, Anthony Glennon and Polly Frame. Writer : David Spicer   Director: Frank Stirling"

Subject: RE: Christmas Day The Mysteries
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 06:15 PM

The Creation? Challenge yourself. Google First Scandal.