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Dateline:
16th May, 2010
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Publicity
photo for The Nativity
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The Mysteries Come to Durham
Many cities amd towns throughout the country have a tradition of Mystery
Plays, the retelling of Bible stories through performance, often with
each story being told by a different trade guild. The scripts of the
York, Chester and Wakefield cycles of plays have survived to this day
but scripts from elsewhere have vanished over time. All that suvrives
of the Durham Cycle, for example, is a fragment of the Prologue to the
cycle which was once performed in Durham Cathedral.
Now Durham is to revive the Durham Mysteries in a modern way.
The project's creative director, Simon Stallworthy, who is the director
of the city's Gala Theatre, explains the thinking behind the project:
“When I first moved to Durham I thought there might be some
Mystery Plays, like with York, but pretty quickly I found they had
been lost over the years. I thought, wouldn’t it be interesting
to take the Mystery Plays - The Fall of Lucifer, Adam and Eve, Noah’s
Ark, The Nativity, Cain and Abel - as a starting point and commission
some new plays by asking writers, 'Which mystery plays would you choose?
How would you write it?'"
After two years in development, the Durham Mysteries project will reach
its conclusion later this month when the full Cycle of new plays will
be performed in various locations around the city, including the Cathedral
and Castle, the Gala Theatre and the Sands riverside.
There will be ten plays:
The Fall of Lucifer
By Gavin Williams
Directed by Jackie Fielding
With God absent from heaven - attending the furthest reaches of the
universe - the host of angels decide to celebrate his creation with
a cosmic talent show. With all the glitter and drama of reality TV
talent shows, this very modern look at pride, hubris and celebrity
sees Lucifer take on Man in an attempt to win over the judges.
The Fall of Creation
Libretto by Em Whitfield Brooks, music by Tim Brooks
Adam, Eve, The Serpent and the Apple all play key roles in this classic
tale of temptation in the Garden of Eden. This stunning large-scale
performance sees visual splendour coupled with dynamic music, physical
theatre and singing to produce a stunning spectacle. Performed by
singers, actors and dancers of all ages from across the region including
local choirs, Lirica and children from Chester-le-Street Junior School,
Durham Cathedral Young Singers and the Chorister School.
God's Day Off
By Ian McMillan
Directed by Jackie Fielding
And on the seventh day, God rested. And it's not surprising, given
how busy He'd been the week before, what with all that making of the
earth. But what did he do on that day off? This brand new comic play,
partly written in rhyming verse with songs and monologues follows
God on His day off as He traverses the North of England.
Cain and Abel
By Ellen and Fred Phethean
Directed by Fiona MacPherson
An innovative retelling of this story of murder, brotherly betrayal
and sacrifice is brought bang up to date. Two brothers involved in
street gangs are driven to violence by jealousy and anger. Set within
Hip-Hop culture, the sons do battle as they vie for approval and love.
This imaginative mother and son team use the urban artforms of rap,
street poetry, dance and graffiti to bring this tale into the 21st
Century.
Noah and the Fludd
By David Almond
Directed by Annie Rigby
A vivid, accessible and entertaining take on the story of Noah, with
a very North Eastern feel. With giraffes discovered in Birtley and
the ark coming to rest on Penshaw Monument, the play also tackles
the bigger subjects - humanity's failure to care for the planet, threat
of rising sea levels, the possibility of alternative worlds, with
great humour. Bringing the ancient tale to life, Almond shows that
it still has real relevance for today.
It features a group of children from Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Primary
School in Esh Winning and adults from the Shinwell Centre and Peterlee
Day Centre in Peterlee.
Abraham and Isaac
By Toby Hulse
Directed by Ben Ayrton
The story in which God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, is
created using the words and thoughts of young children from Durham
aged between three and seven. Having captured the children's ideas,
Hulse crafts their words and images to create a new theatrical version
of the story written almost exclusively in the language of the youngest
members of Durham's community. The script is then performed by adult
actors, giving a weight and validity to the children's words.
The Nativity
By TIN Arts
Dance is used to tell the story of The Nativity through the eyes of
Joseph. A man travelling miles to pay his taxes, with a wife about
to give birth to a son that isn't his. What was his role in one of
the greatest stories ever told... was he just along for the ride?
The Miracle of Lazarus
By Judy Upton
Directed by Steve Gilroy
A dramatic, modern-day interpretation of the miracle of man rising
from the grave. A 999 call. A man is dead. An ambulance, packed with
the latest medical equipment, couldn't save him. Rumours that the
mysterious Jesus is coming here. Tweet networks into meltdown. A flash
mob of supporters, detractors and the curious assembles. The powers-that-be
are getting very twitchy… "You have to take proper precautions
when there's a faith angle". In a world where we're all watched
and recorded, the unexplainable is highly dangerous. If a dead man
is raised here today, how will we react?
The Crucifixion
By Timothy Craig Harrison
Directed by Em Whitfield Brooks
A musical interpretation of this pivotal story, examining celebrity
culture and the role of mass media. With an especially composed score,
all the drama and spectacle of the story are brought to the fore.
With all the feel of a medieval pageant, incorporating music, dance,
and augmented by members of the crowd playing improvised percussion,
the whole tale seems to unfold almost spontaneously.
The Harrowing of Hell
By Chris Hannan
Directed by Jenny Lingham
The cycle reaches its natural climax as God goes to hell to redeem
Adam and lead him to paradise. Christ finally comes face to face with
Satan in a modern form of hell, inhabited by the homeless, addicts,
the lost and forsaken. Full of dramatic suspense and emotional tension,
this truly contemporary vision of hell and redemption is a spectacular
finale to the 2010 Mystery Plays cycle.
Dates and Times
The whole cycle of ten plays will be performed on each of three evenings,
from Thursday 27 May to Saturday 29 May 2010: The timings are as follows:
5.30pm - Gala Theatre - The Fall of Lucifer
6.30pm - Durham Cathedral - The Creation & Fall
7.30pm - The Sands - The remaining eight performances in the cycle
Tickets
Gala Theatre performance only: £5 (£3 conc)
Durham Cathedral performance only: £5 (£3 conc)
The Sands performances only: £15 (£10 conc)
All plays package: £20 (£15 conc)
Tickets are available by contacting the Gala Theatre Box Office either
in person or by telephone on 0191 3324041. Tickets are limited, so advance
booking is advised. The All Plays Package price applies only to events
seen on the same evening.
All venues will be fully accessible for wheelchair users, and disabled
toilets will be available.
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