The York Mystery Plays | Radio Broadcast

“One of the online audio treats of lockdown” – The Tablet

The York Mystery Plays, a selection of biblical stories drawn together into a piece of theatre, date back to the 1300s. They have now been adapted for radio by York Theatre Royal and BBC Radio York, and include six plays in six episodes – Adam and Eve, The Flood Part 1, The Flood Part 2, Moses and Pharaoh, The Crucifixion and The Resurrection.

Scroll down to catch up on all six episodes of the Mystery Plays for free on BBC Sounds now.

The York Mystery Plays were adapted for radio by Juliet Forster, Creative Director of York Theatre Royal, and Kelvin Goodspeed, and feature a cast of community and professional actors.

Juliet, who also directed this series, said: “The York Mystery Plays are part of the DNA of this city. They belong to the people of York, and have brought people together to create, perform, watch, laugh and cry since the 14th century. The longevity of these potent plays clearly demonstrates how vital the collective act of storytelling is and has always been to human beings, and how much we need to explore and reflect together on our experiences and understanding of the world. We’re determined to keep doing this in spite of the lockdown! So, these plays seem exactly the right choice to pick up, find a new way to create, communicate afresh and encourage one another with.”

The York Radio Mystery Plays are part of the York Theatre Royal’s Collective Acts, a programme of creative community engagement taking place while the building is closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Special thanks to the York Mystery Plays Supporters Trust and the Guild of Media Arts for supporting this project.

CREATIVE TEAM

Adapted by Juliet Forster & Kelvin Goodspeed

Directed by Juliet Forster

Composition, Foley, Sound Design by Ed Beesley

Songs Composed by Madeleine Hudson

The Flood Song Performed by The Cast

Moses and Pharaoh Song Performed by The York Theatre Royal Choir

CAST

ADAM AND EVE

God Paul Stonehouse

Satan Rory Mulvihill

Eve Taj Atwal

Adam Kane Hutchinson

THE FLOOD

Angel Christie Barnes

Noah Mark Holgate

Noah’s Wife Rosy Rowley

1st Son Joe Feeney

2nd Son Stan Gaskell

3rd Son Matthew Dangerfield

1st Daughter Charlotte Wood

2nd Daughter Fiona Baistow

3rd Daughter Taj Atwal

MOSES AND PHARAOH

Pharaoh Paul Mason

Moses Andrew Squires

1st Councillor Maurice Crichton

2nd Councillor Claire Norman

1st Youth Christie Barnes

2nd Youth Oliver Joseph Brooke

1st Egyptian Matt Simpson

2nd Egyptian Rachel Price

THE CRUCIFIXION & THE RESURRECTION

John Andrew Isherwood

1st Soldier Daniel Poyser

2nd Soldier Toby Gordon

3rd Soldier Adam Kane

4th Soldier Ged Murray

Mary, mother of Jesus Stephanie Hesp

Pilate Joe Osborne

Jesus Jared More

Mary Cleophas Elizabeth Elsworth

1st Thief on the cross Maria Gray

2nd Thief on the cross Kelvin Goodspeed

Angel Sarah Woodmansey

Mary Magdalene Dora Rubinstein

Caiaphas Maggie Smales

The York Radio Mystery Plays were made possible thanks to the generosity of our community.

As you enjoy this radio performance, please consider donating to York Theatre Royal so that we can continue to engage and entertain our community in the future.

Donate online here. Thank you.