Beyond Shakespeare

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post continues our look at play 6, The Nativity, where the traditional narrative begins.

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers the start of play 6, The Nativity, where Octavius Caesar consults the Sybil about the coming of Jesus.

This is a live recording from a selection of mystery plays compiled in 2007 for a show called Medieval Mysteries - focusing on the Nativity. The opening of the show used relevant sections of the Chester Banns - Banns used to announce the coming mystery pageants before the reformation. Audio quality is very poor - it was recorded with a mini-disc player using headphones as a microphone. It's a miracle, frankly, it sounds this good. A full and clear recording of the banns, pre and post reformation, are planned. Speaker: Robert Crighton

A fragment of a lost play. The Rickinghall Fragment is of a tyrant King, possibly a Herod, speaking to his lords. The King is played by Malcolm Hollister. #freeaudio #lostplays #medievaltheatre

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers the middle section of play 4, where Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac.

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers the middle section of play 4, where Abraham asks God for a legitimate child and where God asks him to then kill that child - Isaac.

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers play 4, where Abraham and Lot get busy with some gift giving.

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers the end of play 5, where Balaam tells King Balak how to get the Israelites to curse themselves - next post will cover play 6 - the Nativity.

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers play 5, with the main body of the play where Balaam and his ass are stopped on the road and where he refuses to curse the Israelites - the play concludes in the next post…

Exploring the Chester Mystery Plays is a series of live streamed events where the Chester plays are taken apart with readers and commentary. Rough round the edges, edited versions of these events are now being posted online. This post covers the opening of play 5, with an opening featuring God, Moses and followed by a speech by Balak - the story continues in the next post…