York Mystery Plays

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The Last Supper

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Photographs : Last Supper photos, various dates

Item type: Photographs
Archive reference: YMP/A/13/2/2
Date/year: 1976, 1992, 2000, 2012, 2016
Description: The Last Supper was the Bakers' Play, and begins with Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.  He then breaks bread then drinks wine with them.  Towards the end of the scene Judas departs, intending betrayal.
Here is a Last Supper photo of the 1976 production in Museum Gardens, when David Bradley played Jesus.
Last Supper 1976Above is a colour photograph of the Last Supper - Jesus and his disciples sitting around the Passover table. Robson Green as Jesus, Chris Cade on his right as Peter.   This modern dress 1992 production was in the Theatre Royal.   

last supper 2000

The 1992 photo can be compared with the 2000 scene in Millennium production in the Minster, left.  Mary Magdalene is washing Jesus feet with expensive ointment: this 'waste' irritates Judas.  See the 2012 production, below right and the 2016 production, bottom.

Below: 2012
last supper 2012 


As it involves a table and seating,   this important scene is not easily performed in a wagon production.  Unfortunately that part of the York manuscript in the British Library is damaged and has a missing page in the scene or at least 70 lines.  The first script editor, J S Purvis, said that the 'central part'  (breaking bread) of the scene was lost.
2016 Last Supper

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