REVIEW: English Mystery Plays, Monk Bretton Priory
IMAGINE the scene: amid the ruins of an ancient priory on a sultry summer's evening, vestal virgins clad in white scamper happily, monks in black, cowled robes enter stage right, and the voice of Patrick Stewart booms out of the speaker: I am God alone."
This is the opening scene of the English Mystery Plays, a local tradition in the Barnsley area, where in Worsbrough the cycle of Christian tales was told every three years from 1977 to 2004.
Writer and director John Kelly has revived the cycle, combining a number of Biblical stories, and with a cast of 200 largely amateur actors, subtle lighting and sound effects has transformed the little-known ruins of Monk Bretton Priory into a quite magical setting.
Despite some good performances, the venue is the undoubted star, providing an unforgettable backdrop to a series of set pieces from the Bible.
So many images stick in the mind – brawny, bullet-headed Lucifer bawling defiance at God from atop a tower, the black balloon carrying Noah's raven and the white balloon attached to his white dove, drifting skywards in the twilight as mist rises from the nearby meadows; Jesus's final agony on the cross, framed by flags hanging limply in the sweltering heat, a huge half moon glowing down on his bloody face crowned by thorns.
Inevitably over two and a half hours there are longeurs; times when the amateur actors don't project their voices properly, and some of the scenes work better than others, but overall the impression is that this play cycle is a real labour of love for all involved, and their sheer enthusiasm carries the audience.
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Weather for Sheffield
Wednesday 08 February 2012
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