YORK MYSTERY PLAYS
DRAMA//
J U D G E M E N T D AY
‘a spectacular finale… a scene of
salvation in our troubled times’
(York Press)
Pupils, staff, OPs, parents and ex-
parents joined forces with theatrical East
Riding steampunk Morris side Ravens
Morris in September 2018 to develop
a new take on God’s destruction of the
world: Judgement Day.
The York Mystery Plays are the best
of the few surviving medieval cycles
of Biblical plays. Performed every
four years on farm waggons which are
pushed through the streets of York,
eleven of the 48 plays were chosen for
this year’s festival by York Mystery
Play Artistic Director Tom Straszewski.
Ours was the final one.
God has had enough of mankind’s
failure to honour him so he wipes them
out then resurrects their souls and those
of all the dead for the final judgement
upon every individual. Jesus explains
how those who helped each other were
actually serving him, while those who
failed to do so were behaving sinfully.
Then the Devils take the bad ones
to Hell while the Saved celebrate in
Heaven.
Directed by Alan Heaven, with design
and dances by Ravens Morris and music
by The Bertie Set, this was a spectacular
finale to the four hour series of plays.
Based on the concept of illumination,
the actors all wore white symbolising
purity, hope and – for some cultures –
death as well. They included a range of
historical periods, veils and distinctive
characters. Key amongst these were
Mother Figure, played by staff member
Heather Young who bore babies upon
her back and sides and whose death was
painfully signalled by the slow removal
of these children over haunting music.
Also Death’s Masquers, played by Ellie-
May Rooke, Hannah East and Sophie
Anderson who wore death masks
which matched two others they carried,
creating an unearthly and horrifying
sense of the inevitable fate of us all.
The key role of God was taken by
teacher Adam Hall, whose magnificent,
booming voice carried even behind a
full face mask; while Jesus was Drama
Dept. volunteer Julian Finnigan, a
professional actor whose quality shone
through. His Jesus was a powerful and
charismatic figure who entered with
ribbons of blood streaming from his
hands and sides.
Freya, Zac and parent Louise Stewart
threw themselves superbly into the
production as Souls, as did Henry
Hudson and mother Caroline, while
Adam Smith handled the dual role
of Plague Bellman and Soul with
tremendous confidence. Adam’s parents
Paul and Jenny, like Oli Hudson, were
the muscle which kept the waggon
rolling.
In contrast, Kobby Fofie joined the
Angels, wearing only saffron trousers,
his head haloed in shining golden
feathers and strange Angelic writing
painted on to his body, while OP
Corinne Clark and her mother Ursula
played their Fallen Angel opposites with
snarling attitude.
Amongst the many highlights were the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War
(a flag throwing dance); Famine (a giant
and articulated praying mantis puppet);
Plague (diseased children bound to their
mother by ropes); Death (an enormous
processional puppet, with long grey hair
and a rose in its hand).
The reviews and comments were
overwhelming. Thousands of people
witnessed this play and queues of
them came to talk and to praise it.
For all concerned it was a wonderful,
community adventure which has raised
the Drama profile of the School even
higher than before.
Thanks to all who took part.
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
87