Director’s Programme Note 2008
The concept of ‘community’, in both medieval and contemporary contexts, has been paramount in my artistic vision of the 2008 version of the N-Towne Cycle. There are different perspectives concerning the script’s origins and original performance conditions, but the plays continue to survive because of their vibrant relevance. This was surely the case for the people of Medieval Lincoln. The text communicates issues relating to faith, community and social justice. It is my hope that these three concepts are evident in my interpretation of both the individual plays and the thematic connections between them.

It is intended that audiences will have a ‘sense’ of the original acting styles through the manner in which actors communicate their family trade, as well as their biblical character. Thus, you will see an actor playing the local Miller who has been cast to portray Jesus. The cast change the settings and scenes whilst sustaining their role as craftspeople, interacting and enjoying the staging of their town’s plays and revelling in their moments of fame. The decision to portray God by a female actor is one which creates interesting artistic possibilities. Casting decisions can prompt questions in the mind of the audience. I have chosen to highlight the compelling struggles for power between the traditional forces of ‘good and evil’ by casting women in the God and Satan roles. Generations of audiences are used to seeing these arguments presented by men; it is often difficult for us to imagine God as anything other than a white haired elderly gentleman, but I hope that my casting will present the issues in a new light.

Theatre is essentially the art of telling a story. It is the way in which we tell that story which makes it interesting and, hopefully, entertaining. We hope to demonstrate how such universal themes might have been presented by members of a local community. The plays will be performed in a recognised order and each play has been directed as if performed by a fictional Guild. For instance:

• The Gardeners present The Creation
• The Apothecaries present Lazarus
• The Butcher’s present The Massacre of The Innocents

The banners indicate the pride and integrity with which the original Craft Guilds would have approached their performance; they are resonant reminders of how each of the plays reflects secular and sacred dimensions of human experience. The design of the sound, set, props and costumes indicate the plays’ relevance to the working community; rope, a wooden wheel, Black Smith’s tools and storage boxes. The use of Lincolnshire folk music is a reminder of how music was an integral dimension of working conditions. Songs of work and leisure would have abounded on performance day, which was always a festival. Musicians and Minstrels were key figures in medieval society

Finally, the plays grew out of a community which, like our own, was presumably in a process of change. They offered the opportunity for working people to comment on the pervading values of their time. The plays are fascinating literary texts, historical documents but, most of all, exciting performance scripts.

Geoff Readman
Artistic Director 2008