York Mystery Plays

[Skip navigation]

Search the NCEM archive

Search the archive for


Show a full index A-Z

Item details


Photographs : Old Testament scenes performed

Item type: Photographs
Archive reference: YMP/A/17/9
Date/year: 1951-2022
Description:
This list of Old Testament scenes performed has been compiled from the programmes held at the NCEM.

1951: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden 

1954: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden.  Wagon Play - Noah's Flood

 1957: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden, Abraham and Isaak.  Wagon Play - The Exodus from Egypt, below.

Exodus wagon 1957


1960: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden

1963: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil. Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden. Wagon Play -  Abraham and Isaak

1966: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden. Wagon Play-  the Flood

1969: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden. Outdoor plays: Noah's Flood, the Exodus from Egypt

1973: Creation of World, Fall of angels, Creation of Man and Woman, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden.  

1976: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden,  Cain and Abel

1980: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden, Cain and Abel.  Wagon Play-  Noah's Flood

1984: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman

1986 (Yorkshire Mysteries): Creation, Adam and Eve,  Cain and Abel, Noah's Flood, Abraham and Isaac. From that production, here is Cain (Alistair Bridges) with the Mark after his dispute with Abel (Tim Holman).

Cain and Abel 1986


1988: Creation of the World, Fall of Man and Woman, Noah's Flood, Abraham and Isaac

1992: Creation of the World, Fall of Man and Woman, Noah's Flood, Abraham and Isaac (Theatre Royal)

1994: Citizens' Plays Outdoors: Entry into Eden, Temptation and Fall of Man, Expulsion from Eden, Noah's Ark. Wagon Plays -  Building the Ark, Noah and the Flood.

1996: Creation of the World, Fall of Man and Woman, Noah's Flood, Abraham and Isaac (Theatre Royal)

1998:  Wagons: The Creation of the World, The Creation of Adam and Eve, The Fall of Adam and Eve, 

2000: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden, Noah and the Flood, Abraham and Isaac (Minster).  (The ref. YMP/A/17/9 refers to colour photographs of 2000, two images: 1a and 1b. Eve (Esther Ruth Elliott) is tempted by the serpent Lucifer (Rory Mulville); 2a and 2b. Noah (Arnold Durham), Mrs Noah (Ruth Ford) and family after the flood. The rainbow lights up the Minster.) 

2001 'Divine Intervention'  production: Creation of the World, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Temptation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, Abraham and Isaac. (ie specifically Old Testament plays were performed)

2002 Wagons: Creation of the World, Noah's Ark, Moses and Pharoah

2006 Wagons: Fall of Lucifer, Creation of the World, Fall of Man and Woman,  

2010 Wagons: Creation of the World, Fall of Man and Woman, Cain and Abel, Abraham and Isaac

2012: Creation of the World, Fall of Angels, Creation of Man and Woman, God warns Adam and Eve about the Tree of Good and Evil, Fall of Man, Expulsion from Eden, Noah's Ark (Museum Gardens)

2014 Wagons: Creation of the World; Fall of Man 

2016:  Fall of Rebel Angels. The Creation, Fall of Man, Expulsion from Eden, Noah and the Flood, Abraham and Isaak (York Minster)

2018 Wagons: The Creation; Fall of Man; Abraham and Isaak; Cain and Abel; (below)  Moses and Pharoah

2022 Wagons (plan): The Creation; Fall of Man; the Flood;

Note: The majority of the Mystery Play script is composed of New Testament scenes.  Canon Purvis's translation of the full British Library text (after the Creation, Fall, Expulsion) has these plays: Cain and Abel, Noah Builds the Ark, Noah fills the Ark and is saved, Abraham sacrifices Isaac, Pharoah wishes to kill Hebrew sons; Moses is saved and flees with Hebrews from Egypt. 

Cain-Abel2018




< Go back