Lincoln Mystery Plays 2016

Lincoln Cathedral 3-13 August (excluding 4 & 7)

2016 poster

Picture Galleries

director’s notes

The Lincoln Mystery Plays have been an important part of the social and cultural fabric of the City of Lincoln for centuries. Evolved from scripture into a series of vignettes telling the Christian stories of both the Old and New Testaments and performed by Guilds, workers from different skilled industries, they became an integral part of how Christianity was understood, taught and how Christian belief is spread and consolidated in the community.

Through these years of performance and refinement, the text of the plays have become much more. The plays highlight the humanity of the characters: Joseph expresses doubts and jealousies; Peter despairs as he denies Jesus; Jesus himself pleads to be released from the burden of his mission. What we have, as a result, is so much more than a religious morality play. The plays demonstrate the difficulties, the pain and sorrow, the strength and weaknesses of our human existence, thereby making the remarkable single-mindedness of Jesus the man a relevant and moving portrait of the battle to follow a pre-determined path.

There is a deep spiritual and emotional core to The Mystery Plays; they speak to the humanity in the all of us. On tour with the plays I have witnessed wailing, distressed Italian women apparently inconsolable at the treatment of Jesus on stage; I have spoken with amused and pleasantly surprised clerics who thoroughly enjoyed the plays; and I have met agnostics who have been deeply moved by the universal nature of the Jesus story and its resonance with modern life.

It is this universality, this appeal to all, which is so special with the ‘N’-Town Cycle. Jesus is presented as a man of innocence and truth, a radical who practices the tenets of his own preaching to the letter, a man of peace and tolerance in a world of military occupation and social chaos, a man treading the path laid out in prophecy, whose every step must be taken deliberately on a pre-ordained course from which he cannot deviate. This inability to avoid fate by one’s own actions is the very essence of Tragedy and inhabits all great storytelling throughout the ages.

Our production allows the story to tell itself simply and with great empathy, with specially arranged music to accompany and impel the action, and with a vivid visual language which will bring the story to life. Set simply on a large open stage, the action unfolds like illustrations from a Children’s Bible; Jesus is born into an occupied country and sets out on the route of prophecy – like being constrained to ever walk a circle – knowing that to make one false step puts in jeopardy all that he hopes to achieve.

Colin Brimblecombe, Director

review

A nine-day run of the Lincoln Mystery Plays, performed every four years, launches in the Cloisters at Lincoln Cathedral tonight (August 3). Dawn Hinsley was invited to a special preview show…

“If thou to me will bend thy knee; And be content to worship me; This great round world that ye do see; I shall give to thee.” A speech by Lord Voldemort?

No. It’s actually a plea from Lucifer to Jesus in the Lincoln Mystery Plays.

I was wondering how much I’d really enjoy two and a half hours watching the portrayal of Bible stories, but actually these tales lack nothing of the ingredients of a blockbusting thriller – good guys, baddies, a fight against evil. Devout Christian or not, I challenge you not to be on the edge of your seat by the end of the second half – which I enjoyed twice as much in terms of performance and drama than the first.

The first half lacked a little pace at times until we arrived at The Massacre of the Innocents. If your pulse isn’t racing and you don’t have a tear in your eye as King Herod’s men close in on the mothers and their babies, I question if your heart is beating.

This is a non-professional production, and with the gravitas of the narrative it’s hard not to expect a little too much maybe from the amateur cast. Having said that a few performances really stood out. Lucifer, played by Henry Deighton, stole the show – an absolutely fantastic portrayal. Michael Freestone as Death will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, and Su Toogood as Mary at the foot of the cross will break your heart.

Finally, a deserved mention for the live musicians adding so much to an audience experience.

Dawn Hinsley
Lincolnshire Echo. 3 August 2016

cast

The Creation of Heaven & The Fall of Lucifer

God
Lucifer
Angels & Devils

Dominic Freestone
Henry Deighton
The Company

The Creation of the World and Fall of Man

God
Angel
Adam
Eve
Lucifer (Satan)

Dominic Freestone
Shelagh Gillingham
Michael Mortimer
Victoria Bankes Price
Henry Deighton

Noah

God
Noah
Mrs Noah
Shem
Japhet
The Ark
Youth Theatre Coordinators

Dominic Freestone
Michael Church
Mary Scott
Jack Lane
Edmund White
Hollie Collingwood, Sophie Collingwood, Hannah Minto, Emily Newton, Hollie Nicolson, Georgia Ratnage, Kiki Talbot-Bradley, Mathew Tonge, Sadie Wright
Stuart Minto , Emmeline Betley

Salutation and Conception

God
The Son
Holy Spirit
Gabriel
Mary

Dominic Freestone
Charlie Seeley
Anita Quigley/Pamela Marnie
Ruth Andrews
Jessica Hocking

Birth of Jesus

Joseph
Mary
Baby Jesus
Zelomy
Salome

Jason Hippisley
Jessica Hocking
Bertie Hippisley
Carolyn Jones
Gail Dennis

The Shepherds Play

Shepherd
Shepherd
Shepherd
Joseph
Mary
Baby Jesus
Sheep and Angels

Chris Matthews
Michael Church
Katie Greathead
Jason Hippisley
Jessica Hocking
Bertie Hippisley
The Company

Massacre of the Innocents

King Herod the Great
Satan
Soldier
Soldier
Soldier
Soldier
Woman
Woman
Woman
Angel
Joseph
Mary
Death
Mothers & Soldiers

Dene Woodman
Henry Deighton
Dominic Freestone
Edmund White
Andrew Cox
Jack Lane
Carolyn Jones
Anita Quigley/Su Toogood
Freya Blackwood
Shelagh Gillingham
Jason Hippisley
Jessica Hocking
Michael Freestone
The Company

The Temptation of Christ

Jesus
Satan

Charlie Seeley
Henry Deighton

The Anti-Sermon

Satan

Henry Deighton

Woman Taken in Adultery

Pharisee
Scribe
Accuser
Woman
Young Man
Jesus
The Crowd

Christopher Matthews
Andrew Cox
Michael Church
Anita Quigley
Michael Freestone
Charlie Seeley
The Company

The Last Supper & Passion

Mary Magdalene
Jesus
Peter
John
Judas
Satan
Disciples & Soldiers

Pamela Marnie
Charlie Seeley
Dene Woodman
Edmund White
Lindsay Slapp
Henry Deighton
The Company

Trial Before Herod & Denial by Peter

Herod Antipas
Soldier
Soldier
Jesus
Peter
Roman Soldier
Roman Soldier
The Crowd

Andrew Cox
Chris Matthews
Dominic Freestone
Charlie Seeley
Dene Woodman
Michael Freestone
Mikey Evans
The Company

Crucifixion

Jesus
Soldier
Soldier
Roman Soldier
Roman Soldier
Satan
Mary
Mary Magdalene
John
The Crowd

Charlie Seeley
Chris Matthews
Mikey Evans
Michael Freestone
Dominic Freestone
Henry Deighton
Su Toogood
Pamela Marnie
Edmund White
The Company

The Burial

Jesus
Joseph of Arimathy
Nicodemus
Mary
John
Soldiers and Crowd

Charlie Seeley
Andrew Cox
Michael Church
Su Toogood
Edmund White
The Company

The Burial

Jesus
Joseph of Arimathy
Nicodemus
Mary
John
Soldiers and Crowd

Charlie Seeley
Andrew Cox
Michael Church
Su Toogood
Edmund White
The Company

The Resurrection

Jesus
Mary

Charlie Seeley
Su Toogood

Doomsday

Holy Spirit
Jesus
Gabriel
Peter
Satan
Angel
Adam
Eve
Bad Souls
.
Devils & Good Souls

Anita Quigley
Charlie Seeley
Ruth Andrews
Dene Woodman
Henry Deighton
Shelagh Gillingham
Michael Mortimer
Victoria Bankes Price
Michael Church, Andrew Cox, Chris Matthews,
Pamela Marnie
The Company

The Company are- Dominic Freestone, Anita Quigley, Charlie Seeley, Ruth Andrews, Dene Woodman, Henry Deighton, Shelagh Gillingham, Michael Mortimer, Vicky Bankes-Price, Michael Church, Andrew Cox, Carolyn Jones, Su Toogood, Katie Greathead, Gail Dennis, Jason Hippisley, Edmund White, Jack Lane, Jessica Hocking, Freya Blackwood, Sophie Halse, Michael Freestone, Mikey Evans, Lindsay Slapp, Mary Scott, Pamela Marnie, Christopher Matthews and Bertie Hippisley.

[/column]
[/columns]

Musicians

Director
Musicians
.
Vocal Arrangements
Performers

Robert Steadman
Maria Monks (recorders, violin), Hannah Borrill (violin),
Zia Roberts (violin), Jonathan Rider (woodwind), Peter Humphries (bassoon)
Kate Witney

Production

Director
Co Director
Producer
Production Assistants
Marketing
Design & Photography
Stage Manager
ASM’s

Wardrobe Mistress
Wardrobe Assistant
Wardrobe Assistant 2
Costumes
Costume assistants
Make Up Design
Wig Dresser
Set Construction
Set Design
Lighting
Childrens Chaperones
.
FOH Manager
FOH Team

Colin Brimblecombe
Gaynor Little
Denise Christison
Emmeline Betley & Stuart Minto
Jason Hippisley
Phil Crow
Kevin Gillingham
Alex Kent, Neil Coulton, Lisa Hewitt, Sammy Thompson
Helen Briggs, Janet Marshall
Elizabeth Dimmock
Emily Gosling
Ellie Allwood
Elizabeth Dimmock
Kay & Sandra
Alex Gillard, Jo Hollingworth
Fran Pembery
Neil Coulton
Colin Brimblecombe
David Dray, Q Lights
Rachel Minto, Monica Pollard, Victoria Lowe,
Lynsey Newton
Karen Matthews
Stewart Bristow, Ruth Bristow,  Tom Dodd, Eileen Finningley, Elaine Howell, Dot Howes, Zoe Homfray-Cooper, Tracey Joyce, Liz Lucas, Anna Matthews, Alan Peterson, Diane Raphael, Juliet Raphael, Keith Rylands-Bolton, Michele Upcott, Naomi Watkins, Leanna Wilson