Tuesday 4 August 2015

York Mystery Plays Conference 2015





I spent the weekend in the beautiful city of York where I attended the York Mystery Plays Conference 2015 as their Guest Speaker.
The conference was held in the delightful surroundings of the National Centre for Early Music which also houses the York Mysteries Archive (there's some fascinating material here including programmes dating back to the first revival of York Mysteries in 1951).

The conference was titled 'Performance in the Changing City: taking the plays to the next generation'. Each of the speakers came from very different perspectives; throughout the day I discovered all about  the process of  re-interpreting medieval drama, the challenges of outdoor performance, medieval resonances in modern day performances and ways of reinterpreting the stories for the next generation. The ensuing discussions provided much food for thought - and gave me lots of ideas...

I really appreciated the opportunity to talk 'Mysteries' with people who are just as passionate about them as we are here in Lichfield and to discover the many different approaches other organisations take.
It's brilliant that no two Mystery Cycles in the UK are the same.

We were also treated to an excellent performance of' The Barbers Pageant of The Baptism of Christ' by HidDen Theatre  - what better way to round off the day!

Thank you to York Wagon Mysteries for organising the event - a really informative and thought-provoking day. It was lovely to meet you all and I'll definitely be staying in touch. Can't wait to see your next production!