York Mystery Plays

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Minster 2016

The plays were staged again in York Minster (for only the second time) from 26 May 2016 (the feast of Corpus Christi, the date of the medieval Plays) to 30 June, the longest-ever run. The Dean of York said the Minster had been privileged to be the Plays' guardian for a season.
Director Phillip Breen and producer Nicky Corp recruited actors and actresses from across the region both to take part in and to support the production: there was only one paid professional actor in this production, Philip McGinley playing Christ, left. Jesus blesses Here is a link to a castlist. Here is a link to the list of creatives. Over 200 volunteers were selected for named parts (many regular York amateurs and some young professionals) and the chorus. Some fifty were children/young people. Another 200 people took roles such as administration, building the set, making props, or as wardrobe assistants, seamstresses, backstage crew, steward.

Production team 2016
This scanned York Press image (from the archive) shows designer Max Jones, scriptwriter Mike Poulton, musical director Dr Richard Shephard and director Phillip Breen in the Minster, planning the 2016 production. Over 26.000 people saw the 41 performances. 
Here is a link to the castlist.
Here is a link to the page listing Creatives. Below are Ehren Mierau (left), who played Judas and Toby Gordon (right), who played Lucifer/Satan.
Judas - Ehren Nierau
Toby Gordon as Lucifer









Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaak


Here Abraham (John Roden) lifts a knife to sacrifice his only son Isaak (Ewan Croft). God sends an angel to stop the killing, having tested Abraham's faith.



Percula the Vain one

After the Plays were over, there was an exhibition in the Minster spotlighting the Plays and their message. See below a link to a page about that exhibition. Here is Elizabeth Stanforth Sharpe, Dame Precious Percula (Pilate's wife), as depicted in the exhibition.

See this page for photos of the 2012 production in Museum Gardens.
See this page for the 2018 wagon plays, and this page for images of musicians in 2018.
See this page for the 2019 Nativity for York