The Players of St Peter
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Olive as Sibyl the Sage
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.
Texts available on the Web
CycleOriginalModernis/zed
Chester Maine
n-Town
Ludus Coventriae
Corpus Christi
Hegge
Maine Toronto
Wakefield
Towneley
Michigan
Virginia
York Michigan
Virginia
Toronto
All four of the above
plus fragments
Maine

    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.)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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

The Players offstage

In this group before you can act on the stage, you have to mantle it.  And when it would be all over for most groups, you have to dismantle it.

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:


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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.

Roger Haworth's ego trip
(I told you there was nothing worth looking at.)
Lots of links to Simon's site


.Roger's home page