The Players of St Peter The alternative menu to the official site
and the official menu to the alternative site.
Olive M Stubbs who has adapted and directed all our productions since 1986.
She also sometimes performs. Seen here in 2003, giving out director's
notes, after rehearsing the role of Sibyl in the Chester Wrights' play of the
Salutation and Birth.
The Players of St Peter are an amateur drama group who have been performing medieval mystery plays in London for sixty years.
2008 Production
Our next production will be scenes from The Chester Cycle
Watch this space for further details
Auditions
If you are interested in taking part, please come to the readings on 2008 Sept 10, Wed at 18:30 in the church (see below). No need to book - just turn up!
2008 Nov 24, Mon – Nov 28, Fri
at 18:30 and 20:30 each evening in St Clement Eastcheap Church, Clements Lane, London, EC4
This symbol indicates items which are actually on this site.
2001 The
Magi - Eileen Mills, Andrew Dobson and Edward Weedon.
(Eileen taking a man's part. Ted taking an acting role - he usually sticks
to SM-ism. Perhaps two people had dropped out at short notice.)
Trailers and Trailers
The author of the n-Town plays provided what in cinematic terms we would
now call a trailer. It plods through from:
In the first pageant we think to play
How God did make through his own might
Heaven so clear upon the first day …
In the second pageant, by God's might,
We think to show and play the scene
In the other six days, by open sight,
What thing was wrought. …
right through to:
Then followeth next, surely,
Of Whitsuntide, that solemn feast,
Which pageant shall be nine and thirty. …
The fortieth pageant shall be the last,
And Doomsday that pageant shall be called
Who sees that pageant might be aghast
To grieve his Lord God never at all. …
and finishing with:
On Sunday next, if that we may,
At six of the bell we begin our play
In N-town; [hence the name] wherefore we pray
That God now be your speed.
(Substitute actual date, time and location when performing.) The
original manuscript has a time of six but when it says six it means
6am! They had to start that early if they were going to perform all
the plays in a day. We know that in some cities the plays were
performed from the back of wagons or pageants (the other sort of trailer) -
one play per wagon.
Normally I support the Any
Browser Campaign but for Dennis G. Jerz's York Corpus Christi Pageant
Simulator I am prepared to make an exception - I had to borrow my son's
Apple Mac to see it properly.
The simulator works out where each wagon would be minute by minute during
the course of Corpus Christi Day. Performing 48 plays at 16 stations
using Toronto running times takes 22 hours - which would leave them playing
by candle-light till four of the bell. To use Olive Stubbs's phrase, theses
have been written on this subject and Dennis Jerz discusses them on this
page.
Dennis Jerz says he has never been to
York but then if you are seeing the plays at 500 years distance what
difference does 3000 miles make?
Quite an extensive
web site worth exploring lies beyond the Simulator. Its Site
Map double-counts a lot of pages but it is still a decent-sized
site. And just to confuse you, there are two different pages both
entitled A Christ Taken Prisoner.
The site includes a Glossary which
may be useful especially for those who approach the plays from a dramatic
rather than a religious background. One page about a certain famous
conical
bra is there for comparison with the holy relics of earlier times. (And why not - it was
worn by a Madonna with interesting religious
leanings.)
(At
least for the pages it is.)
The Players of St Peter at The Players of Saint Peter at
St Clement Eastcheap Church, Clements Lane, London, EC4 England UK United Kingdom
(the original 'Oranges and Lemons' church)
between Lombard Street and King William Street
St Clement, Eastcheap with St Martin Orgar: The Ven Kenneth Gibbons (Priest-in-Charge), Mark Kiddle
The Players have been presenting amateur productions of English medieval drama English Mediaeval Religious Drama
for nearly sixty years and we believe we are unique in offering annual productions from the main
English mystery cycles English mystery plays English miracle cycles English miracle plays
Medieval Mystery Plays Mediaeval Mystery Plays Medieval Mystery Play Mediaeval Mystery Play
medieval miracle play Mediæval Mystery Play
since 1952.
We perform a selection of plays from one of the four most complete cycles each year: 15th century
York corpus christi plays, Chester, Wakefield (also known as the Towneley Cycle) and n-Town (also known as the Ludus Coventriae or Corpus Christi Plays).
n-Town text which is believed to be a touring play script of East Anglian origin.
These productions take the story as far as the Nativity of Christ using a selection of individual scenes within the one-and-a-half hour duration of each performance.
Although we use electric lighting and the church's organ, in all other respects we try to be as faithful as possible to the original medieval production style.
The dialogue is very much as it was five hundred years ago, using original texts adapted only for length and to clarify meanings for present-day audiences.
The group was founded in 1946 in the church of St Peter-upon-Cornhill Saint Peter upon Cornhill
It returned to the City of London, in St Clement Eastcheap church, several years ago, after spending ten years in
Holy Trinity Sloane Street Chelsea West London.
the present director, Olive Stubbs Olive M Stubbs, Triple Subject co-ordinator, senior lecturer in English at the University of East London UEL
staging her first production as director in 1986, following a number of years as an actor with the group;
several other players have been with the group for more than twenty-five years.
The audience is also loyal - many have been supporting us for more than thirty years (in at least one case since the 1950s).
Seating is limited book your place early by returning the completed order form Booking Form
Admission includes a programme.
Ticket orders and correspondence to:
Ted Weedon Edward Weedon
The Players of St Peter, PO Box 3040, London, E1W 3TQ
Simon Reynolds
Beardyman
Someone has developed a strange obsession about Peter Evans, one of the Players. See my page and the blog.
On the web
There is a least one member of the group who says "I have never seen the web"! But a growing number do have presences there.
This list is a wiki page so if you are not on it, add yourself!
Obituary
Sadly, four of our members died during 2006:
Francis Stephenson (female) had been secretary to Alan Cook, rector of St Peter-upon-Cornhill and had run our box office for several years
Nothing worth looking at below here.
Scenes from [Alexandra F Johnston Sandy Johnston titles included]
The Corpus Christi Plays / Pageants
The Proclamation Trailer
The Creation of Heaven and the Angels
The Fall of Lucifer
The Creation of the World and Man
The Fall of Man
The Creation and Fall of Man
Cain and Abel
Noah
Abraham and Isaac
Moses
The Tree of Jesse
The Betrothal of Mary
The Parliament of Heaven
The Salutation and Conception / The Annunciation
Joseph's Return
The Trial of Mary and Joseph
The Nativity / The Birth of Christ
The Adoration of the Shepherds
King Herod's Court
The Adoration of the Magi
The Purification of the Virgin
The Massacre of the Innocents and the Death of Herod
Christ and the Doctors
The Baptism
The Temptation / Lucifer on Sin
The Woman Taken in Adultery
The Raising of Lazarus
The Resurrection Appearances
The Ascension
Pentecost
The Last Judgment Doomsday
The York Plays Wagons carts wains
performed by craft guilds
The Barkers' Play: The Fall of the Angels
The Plasterers' Play: The Creation
The Cardmakers' Play: The Creation of Adam and Eve
The Fullers' Play: Adam and Eve in Eden
The Coopers' [Barrel-Makers'] Play: The Fall of Man
The Armourers' Play: The Expulsion
The Glovers' Play: Cain and Abel
The Shipwrights' Play: The Building of the Ark
The Fishers' and Mariners' Play: The Flood
The Parchmentmakers' and Bookbinders' Play: Abraham and Isaac
The Hosiers' Play: Moses and Pharaoh
The Spicers' Play: The Annunciation and Visitation
The Pewterers' and Founders' Play: Joseph's Trouble about Mary
The Tile Thatchers' Play: The Nativity
The Chandlers' Play: The Shepherds
The Masons' and Goldsmiths' Play: Herod and the Magi
The Hatmakers, Masons, and Labourers' Play: The Purification
The Marshals' Play: The Flight into Egypt
The Girdlers and Nailers Play: The Slaughter of the Innocents
The Spurriers' and Lorimers' Play: Christ with the Doctors in the Temple
The Barbers' Play: The Baptism
The Smiths' Play: The Temptation
The Curriers' Play: The Transfiguration
The Capmakers' Play: The Woman Taken in Adultery/The Raising of Lazarus
The Skinners' Play: The Entry into Jerusalem
The Cutlers' Play: The Conspiracy
The Baxters' Play: The Last Supper
The Cordwainers' Play: The Agony in the Garden and the Betrayal
The Bowers and Fletchers' Play: Christ Before Annas and Caiaphas
The Tapiters' and Couchers' Play: Christ before Pilate I: The Dream of Pilate's Wife
The Liststers' Play: Christ Before Herod
The Cooks' and Waterleaders' Play: The Remorse of Judas
The Tilemakers' Play: Christ Before Pilate 2: The Judgement
The Shearmen's Play: The Road to Calvary
The Pinners' Play: The Crucifixion
The Butchers' Play: The Death of Christ
The Saddlers' Play: The Harrowing of Hell
The Winedrawers' Play: The Resurrection
The Winedrawers' Play: Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalen
The Woolpackers' and Woolbrokers' Play: The Supper at Emmaus
The Scriveners' Play: The Incredulity of Thomas
The Tailors' Play: The Ascension
The Potters' Play: Pentecost
The Drapers' Play: The Death of the Virgin
The Weavers' Play: The Assumption of the Virgin
The Hostelers' Play: The Coronation of the Virgin
The Mercers' Play: The Last Judgement
Sgalawaki - understanding your country's established definition of reason using a dictionary.
1986 - my first performance with the Players of St Peter - it was also Olive's first year as director. But she had been acting with the group since July 1977.