Last Update:

Front cover of the new book by Sydney Higgins Theatre in the Round: The Staging of Cornish Medieval Drama, a new illustrated analysis by SYDNEY HIGGINS is now published.

In the USA, it is available from Amazon.com for $16.93 and in the UK from Amazon.co.uk for £12.50.

Page 2

NEWS and DISCUSSION GROUPS

PERFORMANCE & SET DESIGN

a. Performance

b. Set Design

PROPS & MAKE-UP

NEWS and DISCUSSION GROUPS

Records of Early English Drama (REED)
Pictured Play CharactersInformation about the publications, newsletter and discussion group, all based at the University of Toronto, Canada.
PERFORM - Medieval and Renaissance Performance Listserv Discussion Group
Home page of the group based at the University of Indiana, listing subscription information, monthly logs, course syllabi and other links.

PERFORMANCE & SET DESIGN

a. Performance

Everyman
Account - with photographs - of a production by the Medieval Drama Group of the University of Dundee.
Poculi Ludique Societas - Medieval & Renaissance Players of Toronto
Logo of the PLS The home page of the University of Toronto company that, since 1964, has presented some 90 productions (involving 200 individual plays) of medieval and early Renaissance drama. Also on the site are photos of productions by Poculi Ludique Societas.
The Mystery Plays - 25 Years On
An informative article by Richard Rastall about the staging of plays with pageant wagons from the York Cycle at the University of Leeds and elsewhere over the last 25 years.
York Mystery Plays - 1951 to the Present Day
An excellent site presenting information about the presentation of the plays in York that includes video clips.
The York Cycle of Mystery Plays, Toronto 1998
The pictures on this website were taken during the performance of the York Cycle of Mystery Plays in Toronto on June 20, 1998. The performance was organized under the auspices of the Poculi Ludique Societas, a society dedicated to the preservation and performance of early English drama. The Toronto performance was the first outdoor processional presentation of the entire cycle of 47 surviving plays since the final performance in York in 1569. The event was a useful experiment for theatre historians interested in determining whether the entire cycle could be performed processionally on a single day. Even more importantly, however, it was also a genuinely entertaining and profoundly moving theatrical experience for audience and actors alike.
York Corpus Christi Play Simulator
This highly recommended resource provides a treasure-trove of information about the staging and performance of the York Cycle.
  1. The Staging of the York Corpus Christi Plays
  2. Religious, Political, Economic and Artistic Contexts
  3. Origin and History of the York Corpus Christi Play
  4. Glossary of Terms: Medieval Religious Drama
  5. Pageant Simulator (computer software that models the motion of pageant wagons during a simulated York Corpus Christi Pageant)
This important site has been produced by Dennis G. Jerz.

b. Set Design

Medieval Stages
Medieval StagesPart of an interesting article on 'Medieval Writing', written by Dr Dianne Tillotson, this page includes several illustrations, including the one on the left, of a Passion Play presented in Valenciennes in 1547.
Images Related to Middle English Drama
A useful, albeit small collection of engravings.
Medieval Illustration of Tents and Pavilions (which, as the illustration above shows, had much in common with stationary medieval theatrical sets)
  1. A Royal Medieval Pavilion and a Modern Reconstruction Using as a model an illustration in King Rene d'Anjou's 'Book of Love', Stephen Bloch and Deborah Peters built their own medieval pavilion.
  2. Building a Period Pavilion An excellent article with detailed plans written by Elizabeth Cook for 'Cariadoc's Miscellany'.

PROPS & MAKE-UP

Medieval Flags and Banners
Medieval Flags and BannersA most useful collection, compiled by Donna Hrynkiw, of many illustrations (arranged according to period and type) and several interesting, illustrated articles.
Medieval Theatre Props and Trade Guilds
A useful, short introduction.

Any suggestions or comments? Please write to me: Mail Me