York Mystery Plays

< back | Print | A Time of Change >

From 12 to 15 December 2019 the group of enthusiasts and actors forming the York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust staged A Nativity for York as their first independent production. Previously they had taken part in the Plays in Museum Gardens, in the Minster and on wagons. They hope to make the Nativity an annual part of York's Christmas Calendar. The text was prepared from the eight plays about Jesus' birth - from The Annunciation and Visitation (the Spicers Guild) up to The Purification of the Virgin (The Hatmakers, Masons and Labourers Guild) and was performed in the Spurriergate Centre in the medieval church of St Michael, Spurriergate, which dates from the late 1110s. Cast list:

Joseph: Chris Pomfret

Mary: Raqhael Harte

Shepherd 1: Ged Murray, Shepherd 2: Michael Maybridge, Shepherd 3: Jenna Drury (Below, they see the angels)

King 1: Ben Turvill, King 2: Stephanie Walker, King 3: Wilma Edwards
Angels and Musicians: Anna Briggs, David Denbigh, Jodie Fletcher, Lily Geering, Judith Ireland, Linda James, Nick Jones, Sonia di Lorenzo, Sally Maybridge, Harold Mozley, Denise Oliver, Val Punt, Tracey Rea, Lucinda Rennison, Joy Warner

Director: Phillip Parr (he also arranged the music)

Associate Director: Terry Ram 

Producer: Simon Tompsett

Costume Designer: Filip Gesse

Production Manager: Leonie Hertig

Stage and Techncial Director: Dave al Bahrani-Peacock

Asst Stage Manager: Janice Newton

Props Designer and maker: Julie Porter

Costumes makers: Kia Jackson, Janice Newton, Mary Perham, Shiela Shouksnith

Front of House: Gary Bateson, with FoH team: Ruth Cozens, Lynn Gregory, Pat Hill, Kia Jackson, Jenny Kilmartin, Felicia McCormick, Margaret O'Donnell, Joan Pritchard, Judy Reed, Felicity Semple, Shiela Shouksmith, Hilary Spurling, Phil Turner, Sandra Wadley

Production photographers: Nick Ansell, John Saunders

Artist in Residence: Lynn O'Dowd

Production image: Greg Goodale

Production image model: Olivia Negrean