The Passion





A version of the Medieval Mystery Plays

by Peter D. Lathan



¸ Peter D. Lathan 1974









This version was originally commissioned by the Wearabout
Theatre Company, Sunderland, for performance in churches
throughout the North East.  The tour was directed by Wanda
Michell and the music arranged and conducted by Colin
Brackley-Jones.







Peter D. Lathan

62 Sandringham Road

Roker

Sunderland 

SR6 9QZ



Tel. 0191 548 7482

e-mail 100667.3273@compuserve.com





List of characters               p.2



Introduction                       p.2



Script                                 p.4



Production notes               p.74































List of Characters



God									Lucifer/Satan

Lightborne								Angel 1

Angel 2								Angel 3

Fallen Angel 1								Fallen Angel 2

Fallen Angel 3								Fallen Angel 4

Adam									Eve

Isaiah									Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Joseph									Gabriel

Innkeeper								First Shepherd

Second Shepherd							Third Shepherd

Herod									Messenger

First King								Second King

Third King								John the Baptist

Jesus									Peter

John									Judas

Mary									Martha

Lazarus								Simon the Leper

Mary Magdalen							Caiaphas

Annas									Pharisee

Soldier									Malchus

Maid									First Torturer

Second Torturer							Third Torturer

Fourth Torturer							Herod Antipas



Various Disciples, soldiers, bystanders etc.



INTRODUCTION



The full cycle of Myster Plays is long - inevitably!  After all,
it starts with the fall of Lucifer and ends with the Harrowing
of Hell and the Last Judgement.  For its contemporary audience
it was a day long entertainment and devotion in which they saw
all the Gospel story and much of the Old Testament acted out for
them.  Even York, with its great tradition, will only undertake
that every three years, and Oberamergau even less often.



Modern theatre audiences are prepared to sit through long
performances (Nicholas Nickleby, for instance, or the Ring
Cycle), or even stand through them (the National's Mysteries),
but anyone who has ever sat for any length of time in the
average church pew will recognise that a special kind of
devotion is needed to there sit for hours on end!  Thus when I
was asked to prepare a version of the Mysteries for a tour
around churches I was very conscious of the necessity to impose
a time limit of two hours on myself.



This meant that I had to be ruthless in cutting.  The tour was
to take place at Easter, which meant that the concentration had
to be on the Easter story, but to be meaningful the Fall of Man
had to be included, as did the birth of Christ and enough of his
Ministry to give a good balance.  It would have been ludicrous
to go straight from the birth to the Crucifixion!



So a lot had to go.  It was with regret that I said goodbye to
Cain and Abel and Abraham and Isaac (they were in the first
draft), and the selection of the details of Christ's Ministry
gave endless trouble.  At the finish I decided on one miracle
(the raising of Lazarus, because raising the dead must be
regarded as the the miracle par excellence) as well as the
Baptism and the Temptation.  I kept Mary Magdalen as much for
dramatic as for theological reasons.



I must confess that, in the end, I let dramatic structure be the
final arbiter of what went and what stayed.  And that is my
excuse for the very compressed Easter section (a little mime and
one speech by Christ).  The Crucifixion is a superb climax and
the drama demands a quick resolution (a couple of speeches is
all Shakespeare gives us after his climaxes, and who am I to
argue with the Bard?).  Yet if we follow the Easter story
through event by event, we cannot really stop until the
Ascension - and no matter how theologically climactic that may
be, as drama it has vastly less impact than the Crucifixion.  As
it stands (and preferably accompanied by music, as it was in the
first production), I venture to suggest that we have a more
dramatically satisfying ending.  At any rate, audiences seem to
think so.



As I say, my first considerations in writing the piece were that
it should be as dramatic as possible and as close in spirit to
the original plays as modern tastes will allow, and I would ask
that any group which decides to do it follows that principle. 
Everything is black and white, there are no shades of grey.  The
good are very, very good and the bad are totally evil.  Don't go
looking for (or trying to introduce) theological subtleties:
there aren't any.  Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber can portray
Judas as a tortured character manipulated by God, Jesus or even
fate into betraying Christ, but to the medieval mind he was just
plain evil!





And there are other things which grate on the modern man. 
Herod, another totally evil character, swears by "Mahoud, my
god, who is great in might", which, as well as being
unacceptable to our more refined sensibilities, is also
anachronistic.  However to the people of the Middle Ages the
Holy Land was populated by Mohammedans who were the enemies of
Christendom and to attribute these words - and this religion to
the evil Herod was inevitable.  It would be possible to change
the name to that of one of the pagan deities or one of the
traditional names of the Fallen Angels ("Moloch, my god...") but
I have preferred to keep the flavour of the original as far as
possible.  Whilst a minor change of name such as this is
acceptable, to try to produce the play in such a way as to bring
it in line with modern sensibilities is as hopeless (and, I
think, as silly) as trying to produce The Merchant of Venice in
such a way as to prove that Shakespeare wasn't anti-Semitic.  He
was, and we just have to accept it - or not do the play at all! 
Both Merchant and the Mysteries are period pieces and reflect
the times in which they were created.



All of this is really a preamble to a plea to actors and
directors: no matter how committed a Christian you may be, no
matter how much reverence you believe the subject may deserve,
think in dramatic rather than theological terms as you work on
the play.  Too much theology will weaken the effect and
therefore the message.  Keep it simple and the audience will
accept it for what it is and the play will make its impact.











GOD1



My name is God and King:

In myself my reigning rests.

Alpha and Omega am I,

The first and noblest.

All might and majesty are magnified in me,

Prince principal, proved by perpetual providence.

Ever was I one, and ever one in three,

Three spirits on one throne, truly a trinity.



So since I am so solemn and set in solitude,

A high hall have I built, a heaven without end.

Nine orders of angels attend on me here,

Do all my desires, and deal by my dominion.



(To the angels)



Since I have formed you all so fair

And exalted you so excellent,

And have set you here next to my chair -

 My love for you being so fervent -

Take care that you fall not into despair!

Touch not my throne without assent

Or all your beauty I shall impair

And ruin will follow your proud intent!





LUCIFER



Nay Lord, never shall we do that deed!

Nay!  None shall trespass against thee.

Thy great godhead we all shall dread

And never exalt ourselves so free.

Thou hast made us, as thou hast said,

In bliss everlasting to be with thee:

There evermore our lives we'll lead.

And bearer of light hast thou made me.





GOD



Behold the beams of my bright face

Which ever was, and shall endure!

Be this your joy in every case

Aye to behold your creator.



Now I forbid that you ever should

Do aught my glory from me to steal.

This great command I charge you hold

Or my fearful wrath you shall surely feel.



Now must I go from place to place

And set this bliss in every tower.

Each one of you, keep to his place:

And Lucifer, you shall be governor.



(Exit God)





LUCIFER



Ha! Am I not wondrously bright,

Among you all shining so clear?

Of all of heaven I bear the light

As if God himself still were here.



If only I sat upon this throne

Then I would be as great as he.

All heaven shines through me alone!

Nay! - God is not as bright as me!





ANGEL 1



Lucifer, beware of pride!

How can you harbour such a thought?

Our Lord alone shall be our guide

To keep us in mind of what he has wrought.





ANGEL 2



Our Lord commanded all of us here

To keep his commandments, the greatest and least.

Therefore I warn you, Lucifer,

Your pride will bring you to distress.





ANGEL 3



Of all the angels you bear the prize,

And greatest beauty you possess.

My counsel to you is, be wise,

Nor think such dreadful wickedness.



LIGHTBORNE



My good brother, indeed you shall

Sit on this throne, so bright and clear.

For sure you are as bright, my Lord,

As God himself, if he were here.



So, seat yourself in this bright chair

That all in heaven may you behold.

The brightness of your body fair

Is brighter than God's a thousandfold.





LUCIFER



Now will I seat me in God's stead

To exalt myself.  Now worship me,

You angels!  Turn to me instead

Whom as your sovereign now you see.

I am your comfort, lord and head,

In marvellous might and majesty.





LIGHTBORNE



And I stand second in degree,

All heaven must do me reverence;

For all commands come from you and me,

So high are we placed by your eloquence.





ANGEL 1



Alas! how great is your offence!

Lucifer and Lightborne, to both I say,

Our sovereign Lord will hurl you hence

If he sees you behaving in this way.





LUCIFER



I command you all, do me reverence,

For I am full of heavenly grace.

When God returns I shall not move hence

But still sit here before his face.





(Some, the Fallen Angels, kneel to him: others turn away)



(Re-enter God)



GOD



What blasphemy do I find here,

I, your prince and principal?

I made thee, angel Lucifer,

And now you would be lord of all?



I made thee my friend: now be my foe,

You who sat close to my majesty.

I charge you fall till I say "No",

In the pit of hell evermore to be.





(Lucifer, Lightborne and the Fallen Angels are hurled into
hell.)2





LUCIFER



Alas! alas! O fearsome fall!

I that was an angel fair

And sat so high above the air

Am now as black as coal!





FALLEN ANGEL 1



Helpless, oh helpless!  So hot is it here!





FALLEN ANGEL 2



I go mad for woe!  This heat does me sear!





FALLEN ANGEL 3



All food is but filth!  We welter in scorn!





FALLEN ANGEL 4



Great curse on thee, Lucifer!  Our light thou hast lorn!





LIGHTBORNE



Alas, the joy that we were in

Is lost forever for our sin!

With mirth and joy we were endowed

Till Lucifer waxed overproud.

We listened to the lies he spread

And now our peace away is fled.

Our joys are lost and cannot mend!

Pain is our lot - pain without end!





GOD



Aye! wicked pride will ever work ye woe!

Ah pride, why hast thou corrupted so?

Behold my angels: pride is your foe!

My joy is spoiled, my heart laid low.



A new creation their place shall take.

As heaven is made for angels' sake

The world and all therein I'll make.



Creatures of earth that creep or fly,

Bring forth your young and multiply:

I see that it is good.



Now in our likeness make we man3

Who shall govern as he can

All foul and fish in flood.



A female shalt thou have for mate

Whom here I make of thy left side,

That thou, alone, be not desolate

Without thy faithful friend and bride.

Take ye now here the breath of life

And receive both your souls of me.

This female take thou to thy wife:

Adam and Eve your names shall be.



I give ye wit, I give ye strength.

Of all ye see, the breadth and length,

Be ye the sovereigns wise.

Mirth and joy to have at will

And your pleasure to fulfil

And dwell in Paradise.



Hear thou Adam, and Eve thy wife,

I forbid ye the Tree of Life.

And all my commandments must be kept.

Take what ye will, that tree except.

Adam, if thou scorn'st my breath

Thou shalt die a doleful death!



(Exit GOD: enter SATAN)





SATAN4



O evil spite! O cursŠd day!

What great joy have I lost for ay!

Now God has fashioned man, his friend,

To have that bliss without an end.

And now they are in Paradise -

But they'll go hence, if I be wise!



My content I shall contrive,

For I shall man betray:

God of his pleasure to deprive -

This now shall I essay.

In a serpent's body shall I wend

And corrupt them with all my cunning!

Eve! Eve!





EVE



Who is there?





SATAN



......I am a friend.

For thy good am I coming

And thee have sought.

Of all the fruit that thou see'st hanging

In Paradise, why this one eat'st thou not?





EVE



We may from everyone

Take whate'er we will,

But this one must we shun

Or his wrath shall we feel.





SATAN



And why this one tree - this would I know -

More than others standing by?



EVE



For God forbad us near it go

Nor eat thereof, Adam and I.

And so we fear:

For if we did, we both should die,

He said, and end our pleasures here.





SATAN



Ye shall not surely die!

For God doth know

That in the day ye eat thereof

Ye both shall know

All things that be

In earth and sea

And like gods shall ye be.

For good and evil shall ye learn,

And thus great glory ye shall earn.





EVE



Why! what kind of thing art thou

That tells this tale to me?



SATAN



A worm - that knows full well how

Ye might worshipped be.





EVE



Could this be true, all this you say?





SATAN



Aye sure: why trust not me?

I never would, in any way,

Tell aught but truth to thee.





EVE



Ah Lord, this tree is fair and bright,

Green and seemly in my sight.

Its fruit is sweet and full of might

That gods it can us make.



(She eats the fruit.)





SATAN



Bite boldly on! Have no fear!

Give Adam too when he comes here!



(Exit SATAN: enter ADAM)





EVE



My loving lord and good husband,

Listen to me, sir, I pray:

Take this fair fruit all in your hand;

Thereof a morsel bite, I say.

All God's wisdom to understand

And God's peer to be for ay.





ADAM



I dare on touch thy hand for fear

Of God the King.

Out of thy hand with hasty speed

Cast out that thing!





EVE



Adam, taste here the fruit full good.





ADAM



Alas! woman, why took'st thou this?

Our Lord commanded to us both

To shun this tree of his.

Thy work will make him wroth.

Alas! thou hast done amiss!



EVE



Nay Adam: grieve thee nought at it

Whilst I give thee the reason why.

A worm has given me to wit

Like gods shall we be, thou and I,

If that we eat here of this tree.





ADAM



To God most high in heaven's seat

Shall we be equal, thou and I?





EVE



Yea Adam: fail we not to reach

This high estate. Thus thee I teach.



	

ADAM



To eat it I would not eschew

If certain of thy saying.





EVE



Bite on boldly. It is true.

We shall be gods and know all thing.





ADAM



To win that name

I shall taste it at thy teaching.



(He bites into the fruit.)



Alas! What have I done? For shame!

Ill counsel came from thee!

Ah Eve, thou art to blame!

To this enticed thou me.

My limbs against me all exclaim,

For I am naked, as I think.



EVE



Alas Adam! Right so am I.





ADAM



And for sorrow must we sink.

For we have grieved God Amighty

That made me man,

Broken his bidding bitterly.

Alas that ever we began!

This work, Eve, thou hast wrought.





EVE



Nay Adam, blame me not!

The worm to blame were worthy more:

With tales untrue he me betrayed.





ADAM



Alas that I listened to your lore

Or trusted the stories that you said!

So may I bide.

For that rash act am I repaid;

For that deed done I curse my pride.

Our nakedness me grieves:

Wherewith shall we it hide?





EVE



Right as thou sayest, so shall it be,

For we are naked and all bare.

Full gladly now would I hide me

From my Lord's sight, I know not where.



(Enter GOD)





GOD



Adam! Adam!



(Adam and Eve hide)





ADAM



Lord!





GOD



Where art thou? Where?





ADAM



I hear thee Lord, but see thee not.





GOD



Say: to whom does it belong

This sin that thou hast wrought.





ADAM



Lord, it was Eve that did this wrong

And to this state me brought.





GOD



Say Eve, why did'st thou Adam make

To eat the fruit that should hang still,

Which was commanded none should take?





EVE



A worm, O Lord, beguiled my will.

Alas! that ever I did deed so ill!





GOD



Ah wicked worm!



(SATAN appears)



Woe wait on thee

And on thy belly thou shalt glide

And ay be full of enmity

To all mankind, on every side.

His heel by thee shall bruisŠd be

And he shall bruise thy head!

And Adam and Eve, to punish ye,

From work on earth ye shall not shrink

But labour for your bread.





ADAM



Alas!  how we do sink!

We that had all the world's good

Now thrust out as I think!





GOD



Now Cherubim, my angels bright,

To middle earth quick drive these two.

Do all my will, for it is right.

My full will seek ye all to do!



(Angels drive out Adam and Eve)



(Enter Isaiah)



ISAIAH5



Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!

I am the prophet called Isaye.

Now God did make all things from nought

And Adam with his hands he wrought

In his own image, and Eve his wife,

And gave them joy in Paradise

To enjoy all that his hand had made.



But Adam did what God forbade,

So God then thrust him from that place.

But yet he means to grant him grace

And with his mercy him sustain

And in time to ease his pain,

Since he has suffered sin full sore

For these five thousand years or more,

First on earth, and then in Hell.

But long therein he shall not dwell.



Music Cue : Adam Lay Y-bounden



Now I, God's prophet by name Isaye,

Filled full of God's great influence,

By spirit of prophecy plainly say

That a maid through meek obedience

Shall bear a child which shall do resistance

Against foul Satan, the devil of Hell,

For he shall suffer, in man's defence,

And buy us bliss, in Heaven to dwell.



(Exit Isaiah)



(Enter Gabriel)



Music Cue : The Angel Gabriel





GABRIEL



Hail Mary, full or grace and bliss!

The Lord our God is with thee,

And he has chosen thee for his

That of all women blessed might'st thou be.





MARY



What manner of hailing is this

That privily comes to me?

In my heart this thought there is,

Who is this visitor I see?





GABRIEL



Nay!  fear thou not, thou Mary mild,

For nought that may on thee befall.

For, meek maid, on thee has smiled our God,

On thee his grace does fall.

Thou shalt conceive and bear a child

In thy body's chastity.



He shall be God, and called God's son,

In Jacob's house evermore to dwell.

Greater nor mightier there shall be none,

And no man on earth can know nor tell

His dignity and his kingdom.

And Jesus his name shall be.





MARY



Oh thou God's angel meek and mild,

How can it be, I pray thee say,

That I should so conceive a child

Of any man by night or day?

My maidhood is of none defiled:

In chastity have I lived ay.





GABRIEL



Lady, this secret hear of me:

The Holy Ghost shall come to thee

And in his virtue

Thee enshroud and so infuse

That thou thy maidhood shall not lose

But aye be new.





MARY



With thy gracious bidding I myself accord,

Bowing my face with all humility:

See here the handmaid of the Lord;

After thy word be it done to me.





GABRIEL



Now God that all our hope is in,

Through the might of the Holy Ghost,

Save thee, Lady, from stain of sin,

And guard thee wheresoe'er thou go'st.



(Exit Gabriel)



Music Cue : Magnificat



(Exit Mary.  Enter Joseph)





JOSEPH6



Shame, oh shame!  Oh what shall I say?

I, Joseph, in my elder days

Have taken a young girl as my wife,

And now am deceived, a fool for life!

For she is now with child made great

And how she came in such a state

I do not know.  To talk of it pains me -

The disgrace of it has slain me!

For that infant is not mine, I'm sure,

For by me she is a virgin pure.



(Enter Gabriel)





GABRIEL



Joseph!





JOSEPH



Who calls?





GABRIEL



Jospeh, take heed.





JOSEPH



Who calls?  Who calls?  Is there any need

To bother me so?





GABRIEL



Joseph, take care.





JOSEPH



Oh Lord! is not this a wonder rare

So to be bothered everywhere?

Leave me in peace! Go! Go away!





GABRIEL



Joseph! Joseph! Hear what I say.



JOSEPH



Where are you?  Who are you that bothers me so?

Leave me in peace! Go away! Go!

I have worries enough to fill up my cup!





GABRIEL



 Joseph! Joseph! Joseph! Look up!

I, Gabriel, the angel of God,

Am sent to say, Leave Mary not.

This child that shall be born of her

Is conceived of the Holy Ghost;

All joy and bliss shall follow there,

And mankind's joy shall be the most.





JOSEPH



And is this true, angel, that you say?





GABRIEL



Yea, even so.

Return to Mary thy wife straightway.





(A transition here: possible music cue.)



JOSEPH



Lord, what trouble on man is laid!

Rest in this world he surely has none!

Octavian our emperor has commanded and said

Our tribute we must pay.  Folk must forth each one,

To each his city by name.

I that am a carpenter of David's line

Must obey the emperor now at this time

Or else I were to blame.

Now, my wife Mary, what say you to this?





MARY



To Bethlehem, Joseph, with you will I go.





JOSEPH



My wife, you are with child - it would be amiss

To take you.





MARY



I shall go.





JOSEPH



I cannot say no.

May almighty God guard us as we go.





(Music may be used to cover the period of the journey to
Bethlehem.)





JOSEPH



Good sir, I beg you by God's grace,

Where shall we find shelter in this place?

For here we must rest a little space:

To go further we are unable.





INNKEEPER



Good sir, a fruitless path you trace,

For here have come all David's race

And in house or inn there is no space

Save here in my stable.

Here you may stay, if you think it not wrong,

My hay and all my beasts among.





JOSEPH



Mary, beloved, the truth now to say,

No shelter I see for us here today,

For many lords with great array

Occupy this city.

Therefore we must, as best we may,

Lie in this stable till it be day.

To make men meek, here in this hay,

Born now God's son will be.





MARY



Yes Joseph, here we must stay still,

For thus, I know, it is God's will.





JOSEPH



Ah dearest Lord, this weather is cold,

The fellest frost that e'er I did feel.

I pray thee, Lord, help those that are old,

And be for us all a stay and shield.





MARY



The Lord our guide,

Who rules o'er all men in his might,

Be by our side.



Now God and man together here -

Blessed be he -

Jesus my son that is so dear,

Soon born will be.





(The scene changes to where the shepherds are keeping their
sheep)





First Shepherd7



By mind, bu' it's cauld, and aa am ill-wrapped:

Me hands the frost haulds sae lang hev aa napped:

Wi' ice am aa scarred - me fingers is chapped.

'Cos us poor shepherds that waak ower the moor

Hev been be the rich hoyed reet oot the door -

And it's nae wonder at aal that we are sae poor

For they rob us aal ower, these men wae are rich -

Why, they'll tak aal yer claes, leave ye not a stitch,

Waak off with yer hyem, leave ye in a ditch.

And the tax.....ah why, what good's it tae moan?

Why taak tae mesel' waakin' roond on me own?



(Enter Second Shepherd)









SECOND SHEPHERD



By mind, bu' it's cauld!  Hev ye ivver knaan

The weather sae bad an' the wind blaa sae keen?

Weather this bad, why aa've nivver seen!

An' the wife.....why ye knaa, there nivver has been

A woman sae harsh - an' there nivver will!

She gans on an' on: her tongue's nivver still;

An' aa must be quiet!  Why it maks ye feel ill!

Noo lads wae gan courtin', on God be yer thought,

An' steer clear o' weddin's, and think what yer taught,

'Cos when ye get married, misery's what ye've bought!





FIRST SHEPHERD



Hey, where hev ye been?  Aa've been waitin' for ages.





SECOND SHEPHERD



Man, what's up wi' ye?  In one of yer rages?





FIRST SHEPHERD



Hev ye seen Jack?





SECOND SHEPHERD



Na.





SECOND SHEPHERD



Bu' 'e's been gone for ages.



(Whistle from off-stage)





SECOND SHEPHERD



Hey listen!  Is that him?





FIRST SHEPHERD



Aye, caalin' his sheep.



(Enter Third Shepherd)



Hey, where hev ye been?





THIRD SHEPHERD



Why, aa've been asleep.

Hey, hev ye ivver knaan such a great faal of sleet?

Man, nivver since Noah hev there been such floods.





SECOND SHEPHERD



Ah stop moanin', man.  Hev ye browt the food?





THIRD SHEPHERD



Aye, it's aal in the basket.  Aa browt aal that aa could.





FIRST SHEPHERD



Why let's aal get started.  By mind, that looks good!



(Gabriel and Angels appear)



Music Cue : Gloria





GABRIEL



Rise shepherds, attend!  For now he is born

Who shall snatch from the fiend what from Adam was torn.

The devil to end, this night is he born.

For God is your friend.  Now, on this morn,

Leave your flocks,

To Bethlehem go see

A child in crib poorly

Where he lies so free

Between ass and ox.



Music Cue : Gloria (Reprise)



(Gabriel and angels vanish)



FIRST SHEPHERD



Hey man!





SECOND SHEPHERD



By lad!





THIRD SHEPHERD



That's champion!





FIRST SHEPHERD



Did ye ivver see such a sight?





THIRD SHEPHERD



Hey man, what's up?  What's gannin' on?





SECOND SHEPHERD



Me eyes is dazzled by that light!





FIRST SHEPHERD



Hey!  In the east - up ower there -

Why, yon's a new star shinin' bright!





SECOND SHEPHERD



An' aa reckon it'll tak us where

That bairn is born.





THIRD SHEPHERD



So let's gan stright

Tae where it leads an' see God's son.



SECOND SHEPHERD



Ye knaa, them angels sang canny:

But aa reckon aa'm just as good.





FIRST SHEPHERD



Ye sing!  Why ye bloke!





THIRD SHEPHERD



Ye daft nanny!

Gaan prove it!





SECOND SHEPHERD



Ye don't think aa could?

Aa'll show ye!





FIRST SHEPHERD



Ye sing?  Why, yer barmy!





SECOND SHEPHERD



Aa'll bet any money aa could!

An' if ye try -

Nae word of a lie -

Ye'll be naewhere near as good.



(Exeunt: S2. singing 'Gloria' out of tune: the others join in
the same!)





(Herod's Palace)





Music Cue : Fanfare





 HEROD8



I rule in Judah, Herod of Israel,

The mightiest conqueror that walks on ground.

For I it was who made Heaven and Hell

And with my mighty power makes the world go round.

I may destroy, with one word of my mouth,

The whole of the world, from the north to the south.

Behold my great beauty, my power and my might,

Brighter than the sun at the noon of the day.

And if I am present, the darkness of night

Is totally broken and scattered away.

The man who could ever feast him on this sight

Without meat or drink could live for alway.



(Enter Messenger)





MESSENGER



Hail lord!  Lord of might!

Into your land are come this night

Three kings.





HEROD



Three kings?  Now Messenger, tell to me,

What is their errand in this country?





MESSENGER



They come a king and a child to see.





HEROD



They seek a child - a child and king?

What mad talk is this that they bring?





MESSENGER



My lord, they said he should be king

Of town and tower:

Therefore they come with their offering

To do him honour.





HEROD



King! the devil!  But of what empire?

Of what land will that child be sire?

That traitor shall burn in the fire:

Sore shall he rue.





MESSENGER



My lord, by a star as bright as fire,

They said, this king they knew.





HEROD



King!  Who is king?  No one but me!

Curse him, the devil!  CursŠd be he!

Who is true king we soon shall see!

And curse on them!  Devil take those three!



He shall never master me,

That new-born lad.

Those that trust in a star to me

Seem to be mad!



Go to the three kings speedily:

Bid them come to speak to me.

Say.....I have a message for them here.





MESSENGER



It shall be done, lord, at your desire.



(Exit: returns with the Three Kings)





MESSENGER



All hail, most glorious lord, to thee!

The three kings, lord, have I brought to thee,

From Saba, Tarsus and Araby.





FIRST KING



The Lord who lends this lovely light

Which has led us out of our land,

Keep thee, Sir King and goodly knight,

And all thy folk that we here find.





HEROD



Mahoud, my god who is great in might,

Who holds our lives in his great hand,

Now save you sirs, and in his sight

Tell us what is your errand.





FIRST KING



 Sir, we saw a star appear

In the east over there

In a marvellous manner

Almost as bright as day.





SECOND KING



We never saw a star so clear.

Led by its ray we came here,

But when we came this land near

Then vanished it away.





THIRD KING



By prophecy we know, we three,

That a young child born should be

To rule the people of Judee,

So sought we where he lay.





HEROD



King!  By the devil, dogs, you lie!

Now can I see you rage and rave.

How can you, by shining in the sky,

See there is born a king or knave?

Nay!  I am king, and none but I!





FIRST KING



Sir king, we all accord

And say a child is born

That shall be king and lord

And heal them that are lorn.





SECOND KING



You need not marvel, my lord king,

At this affair, nor comfort lose,

For Balaam said a star should spring

Of Jacob's kind, among the Jews.





THIRD KING



Sir, Isaye says a maiden young

Shall bear a son among Hebrews

That of all countries shall be king,

And govern all that on earth grows

Emmanuel shall be his name -

That is, the Son of God in Heaven -

And certainly he is the same

That now on earth to birth is given.





FIRST KING



And further, sir, the prophet Osee

Full truly told in town and tower:

A maid of Israel, says he,

Should bear one like the lily flower.

He means a child conceived should be

Without the aid of seed of man.

His mother would be a maiden free

And he our saviour and God's Son.





SECOND KING



What prophets told before

There is no man can mar.





COUNCILLOR



Lord, this truth I verify:

So do the prophets prophesy.

Sir, thus we find in prophecy.

Therefore I tell you surely

In Bethlehem, most certainly,

As Micah says, born is that king.



HEROD



Sir kings, I am most glad

You made these tidings plain.

Go forth your journey to fulfil

To Bethlehem, which is close at hand,

And seek the truth, both good and ill,

Of him that should be the lord of the land.

I will await you here still:

Return and tell what you have learned.



(Pause)



To worship him......that is my will.





FIRST KING



Sure sir, of our Saviour

All that we learn

We shall tell you

When we return.



(Exeunt)





(Enter Shepherds, still singing)





FIRST SHEPHERD



Here we are!





SECOND SHEPHERD



Aye, this is the door.





FIRST SHEPHERD



Wae'll gan in afore?





SECOND SHEPHERD



Ye're the eldest be far,

An' so, in ye gaa.





(The shepherds enter the stable where they find Mary, Joseph and
Jesus)





FIRST SHEPHERD



Oh hail little bairn!  Hail canny wee child!

Oh hail God's own Son and yer mother sae mild!

For ye shall o'erthrow the divvil sae wild.



Why, isn't he bonny?

He's laughin'!  That's clivver!

Ah canny, did ye ivver?

Look, aa've browt cherries for ye.





SECOND SHEPHERD



Hail my bonny Saviour, for me ye were born!

Hail maker of aal things for aal ye hev done!

For for man's salvation a vict'ry ye've won.

Hey bonny wee bairn,

Aa've browt ye a baal.

Just a tiny present

For the ruler of aal.





THIRD SHEPHERD



Hail bonny wee bairn, born from David's seed!

Aa beg ye, be near us whenever aa hev need. 

Ee Jesus, wor Saviour, it maks me heart bleed

Tae see ye lie heor

In a stable sae poor.

Aa'll give ye me scarf

For aa've got nothing more.





MARY



The Father of Heaven, God omnipotent,

Who made all in days seven, his son he has sent.

And now he is born.

May he keep you from woe!

I shall pray him do so.

Tell of him as you go.

Remember this morn.





FIRST SHEPHERD



Farewell bonny lass, sae fair tae behold.





SECOND SHEPHERD



Noo Lord, aal is well.  We'll gan back tae the fold.



(Exeunt Shepherds, singing)



(Enter Three Kings)





MARY



Whom seek you sirs, who ways so wild

Do wander, travelling to and fro?

Here we dwell, a woman with her child

And husband: there are no more.





FIRST KING



We seek a child that all shall shield -

His certain sign has told us so -

And his mother, a maiden mild.

Here hope we now to find them both.





MARY



Come near, good sirs, and see.

Your search to an end is brought.





THIRD KING



Behold here, sirs, behold and see

The same that we have sought.





FIRST KING



Hail! fairest of all folk to find:

From the fiend and his fellows in faith us defend.

Hail! the best that is born to unbind

Thy servants who by sin are stained.





SECOND KING



Hail! food on which thy folk fully may feed!

Hail! fairest flower that never shall fade!

Hail! son that is sent of this same seed

That shall save us from sin that our sires made!





THIRD KING



Hail! boy that is best our bales to meet!

For our benefit shalt thou be bound and beaten.

Hail faithful friend! we fall at thy feet.

From the false foul fiend fetch us our freedom.





FIRST KING



Since thee we have sought, son, I say thee,

Take this gold which is greatest of price:

Be pleased with this present, I pray thee.





SECOND KING



Oh judge who in heaven or hell soon shall have us,

Incense to thy service is seeming;

Son, see to thy subjects and save us.





THIRD KING



Since for us your body buried shall be,

This myrrh will I give for your graving.

Receive, Lord, and see to our saving.





MARY



Sir kings, be comfort you between

And God's bright face upon you beam.

This child that from me born has been

Victory will win:

I am his mother, and maiden clean,

Without a sin.



Therefore my lords, where e'er you fare,

Boldly tell you everywhere

How I this blessed child did bear

That best shall be,

Yet kept my maidhood, clean and fair,

Through his glory.



And truly, sirs, that you may know

Such other lord is none below,

Both man and beasts shall worship show

In town and field.

My blessing, sirs, take as you go,

And comfort's shield.





FIRST KING



For solace sure now may we sing:

All is performed that we have prayed.

Now, good Lord, grant us blessing

For the worship we before you have laid.



(They leave the stable)





SECOND KING



Let us go to Herod the king,

For of this news he will be glad

And come himself and make offering

To this young child, for so he said.



But rest we first an hour or so

For to maintain our might;

And then do as we ought,

Go to this king and knight.



(Enter Gabriel)





GABRIEL



Ye goodly kings, of me take heed,

And turn in time, ill fate to flee.

God has bidden me so speed

As faithful friend to warn all three

That Herod's fears on malice feed.

He means your murderer to be.

To be from Herod's fury freed

Another way will God guide ye

Into your own country.



(Exit Gabriel)





FIRST KING



Our thanks, Lord whom we honour here,

Who warns us in this manner,

Else we had gone without a fear

To him who would our blood spill.





SECOND KING



Yea, Lord, King without a peer,

We'll do all in our power.

Now go we hence but not in fear

And all his bidding fulfil.





THIRD KING



Farewell sir kings, friends so dear,

I thank you both for your good cheer.

But yet my spirit still does fear

That Herod some trap will lay.

May he that made both sea and land

Send us safely to our lands.

Friend kings, now give me both your hands:

Farewell, safe be your way.



(Exeunt)





(Herod's Palace)





MESSENGER



Hail king most mighty!  Hail to your honour!

Those three kings that forth were sent

And should have returned to your presence,

Lord, another way they went

And thus do you dishonour.





HEROD



Another way?  Those cursŠd kings!

Have those false traitors done this thing?

Oh that those villains should mar what I've planned!

If I take them now, then they shall be burned!

And that scum of Bethlehem - he now shall die

And thus shall perish his prophecy.

How say you, my knights, to this strategy -

That all newborn boys for this shame shall die,

All slain by the sword?

Then shall I, Herod, live in great fame,

And all people will dread my name,

And offer me gold and riches and grain - 

Will this not pleasure afford?





FIRST SOLDIER



My lord, King Herod - praised be your name,

Your words are clear against my will.

To slaughter children will bring great shame.

No!  Children sure I never will kill.





SECOND SOLDIER



Well said, comrade: your words are all true.

Sir king, in this we are all agreed:

To make so many children bleed

Will start a revolt.





THIRD SOLDIER



I think so too.





HEROD



A revolt! You wretches! I condemn you to die!

Your limbs on the rack will be torn apart!

I shall burn your bodies!  I shall hang you high!

By glorious Mahoud, you cowards at heart!





FIRST SOLDIER



Cruel Herod, we shall do this deed:

Your will must in this land be wrought.







SECOND SOLDIER



All new-born boys in death shall bleed.



THIRD SOLDIER



With all our skill they shall be sought.





HEROD



Now have you sworn.  Away now go,

And work my will both day and night.

Hunt down this my deadly foe:

Bring all the bodies to my sight.





(The home of Mary and Joseph)





(Enter Joseph)





JOSEPH



I wax as weak as any wand:

For feebleness fail foot and hand.

Therefore I think it best

To sleep a while and take my rest.



(He sleeps.  Enter Gabriel)





GABRIEL



Waken, Joseph, and take heed,

My sayings shall ease thy sorrows sore.

Therefore now, Joseph, have no dread:

Awake, and sleep no more.

I, Gabriel, God's angel bright,

Am come to warn thee, take thy flight,

For Herod the king will do to death

All boy children at every hearth.

In Egypt shall ye stay

Till I bid ye away.



(Exit Gabriel)



JOSEPH



God guard us where we're led

Or we shall be misled

E'er we begin!

Mary!  Mary!



(Enter Mary)





MARY



Ah Joseph, what a din

Is this I hear?





JOSEPH



Mary,

As I dreamed in the night,

As I turned to and fro,

An angel full of light,

As on a bough is blossom bright,

Warned me of our woe:

How Herod in his spite

All boys born now afrights

With death.  He would also,

That fiend,

Thy son's life by his might

Most shamefully end.





MARY



My son?  Alas my care!

Who may my sorrows still?

Ill may false Herod fare!

My son why should he kill?

Joseph, who told you of this?

Who gave you knowledge of this deed?





JOSEPH



Gabriel bright that came from bliss

These tidings told for sure indeed,

And wakened me out of my sleep,

Our child from danger safe to keep.

He bade me flee

With him and thee

To Egypt.





MARY



Swiftly Joseph, my own dear spouse,

Towards that country let us repair;

To Egypt where ourselves we'll house.

God grant us grace to come safe there.



(Exeunt)



(The Massacre of the Innocents - see note no. 9)



(Enter John the Baptist)10





JOHN



Ecce vox clamantis in deserto!



I am the voice of wilderness

That here speaketh and preacheth so:

All people keep from wickedness!

Forsake all sin that worketh woe

And turn to God and holiness!



In clearest water then baptise I

All people living on this coast,

But there shall come one who is more mighty

Who shall baptise with the Holy Ghost,

And with the blood of his body

Wash away our sins, the least and most.

I am not worthy to unloose

The small thong that ties up his shoe,

But God Almighty may us use

On earth his holy will to do.



(Enter Jesus)





JESUS



John, God's servant and prophet,

My father, who to you is dear,

Has sent me to you - be well met! -

To be baptised in water clear.





JOHN



Lord, by your grace may I forbid

That it so be.

For, Lord, there is more need

You baptise me.

The place I long for most of all,

From there you came, Lord, as I guess.

How should I then, who am a thrall,

Baptise the man that sinless is

And has been ever?

For you are the light of righteousness

That goes out never.





JESUS



Baptise me, John, and fear nought.

We must fulfill what prophets teach.

He that all this world hath wrought

Sent you my coming here to preach.

He knows men's hearts, their deeds, their thoughts;

He knows how far man's might may reach.

And therefore baptism have I sought -

My father's will we must not breach.





JOHN



I am not worthy to do this deed:

Yet I shall meet God's great demand.

But, my dear Lord, look on my need,

Since I must act at your command.

I tremble and I quake for dread!

I dare not touch you with my hand!

But to God's will I must give heed,

So come, my Lord, and by me stand.

I baptise you, Jesus my Lord,

In the name of your father free,

In nomine patris et filii,

Since God wills that so it be,

Et spiritus altissimi,

In the name of the Holy Ghost above.





VOICE OF GOD



This is my well beloved child.

On thee my favour rests.





JOHN



I beg you, Lord, in your mercy,

That now in turn you will bless me.





JESUS



I grant you, John, for your travail,

With lasting joy in bliss to bide,

With all of those who trust this tale

But have not seen me glorified.

Now John, do you go forth and preach

Against all those that do amiss:

To all the folk the truth go teach;

To righteousness turn those remiss.





JOHN



Almighty God in persons three,

All in one substance aye engrossed,

I thank thee, Lord of Majesty,

Father, Son and Holy Ghost.



(Exit John)





JESUS



Lord, thy greatness to witness

Now pass I forth to wilderness.



(Enter Satan)





SATAN



If this is God's son, he will us undo

And work us much wrack and wreak us much woe.

Sorrow and sadness soon shall he strew

And all our good days would then away go.

But now since he alone has gone

I shall essay

To make him into some sin come,

If so I may.

He has fasted - that mars his mood -

These forty days now without food.

If he be man in bone and blood

He hungers ill.

In gluttony then I think it good

To test his will.



O son of God - if so you be -

By the great might of your godhead,

Turn this stone - come, let's see -

From hardness into tender bread.





JESUS



Not only by bread

Man's life is fed,

But by the word of God.





SATAN



Such great hunger he is not in:

In gluttony he will not sin.

Come now forth to the temple with me,

There great wonders shall you see.



If you be God's son of might

Down to the earth now straightaway fall;

For it is written that angels bright,

Who are in heaven, your father's hall,

Will keep you safe by day and night.





JESUS



It is written in his holy word,

Thou shalt not tempt thy God and Lord.





SATAN



If I were now to crawl off like a snail

I would lose all the labour that I have wrought.

Therefore with covertousness I shall him assail,

And see if to that sin he may be brought.

Sire, yet once more I pray to thee:

To this high hill come forth with me

Where I shall show thee many a city

And many a worthy sight.



Into the north look over the plain:

The towers of Babylon there may you see,

And Jerusalem's city standing so plain,

And close to her there see old Galilee,

Nazareth and Navarre and the kingdoms of Spain,

Italy and Arcady that wealthy realms be.

Rome herself stands there on your right,

And the Temple of Solomon so silver bright,

And here you may see openly in sight

Both France and Normandy.



Now turn on this side and see Lombardy -

Rich spices grow there, hundreds of bales -

Paris and Portugal and Picardy,

Ireland, Scotland, and the land of Wales.

All these belong to me.



If you will kneel down on the ground

And worship me,

All that is in this world so round

I will give to thee.





JESUS



Retro me, Satanas!



Go back! Go back, foul Satanas.

I command thee, off to hell!

And hold thee there

With fellowship of fiends fell

For evermore.





SATAN



Oh! I dare not look, alas!

It is worse than ever it was!

He musters all the might he has.

High may he hang!

It follows fast, and I must pass

To torments strong.



(Exeunt)



(The calling of the Disciples)11







JESUS



Come now, brethren, and go with me;

Let us go unto Judee.

To Bethany will we wend

To visit Lazarus, our friend.

Gladly would I with him speak

For he is sick.





PETER



Lord,

When we were last in that country,

No long time since - now believe me -

It seemed that you would there be slain.

And will you now go there again?





JESUS



Listen brethren, this counsel keep:

Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep.

Now our way to him we'll take

To stir him and bid him awake.





PETER



Lord, perhaps it would be best

To let him sleep and take his rest,

And stop any man from coming near

If he in sleep will mend his cheer.





JESUS



I tell you truly, without fail,

No watching may to him avail.

No sleep may stand him in good stead:

I tell you truly, he is dead.

Therefore I say to you at last,

Leave this debate, and go we fast.









PETER



Sir, whatever you bid us do,

Willingly we assent thereto.

I hope, my Lord, you shall not find

That any of us will lag behind.



(Exeunt)



(The scene changes to the house of Mary and Martha)



(Enter Jesus and Disciples)





MARTHA



Help me, Lord, my rest is fled!

Lazarus my brother now is dead,

Who was to thee beloved and dear.

He would not have died had you been here.





MARY



Lord, great sorrow, as now you see,

Has fallen on my sister and me.

In truth we are as heavy as lead

For that our dearest brother is dead.





JESUS



Martha, Mary, peace to your pain:

Your brother shall rise and live again.





MARTHA



Lord, we know that he will rise

And come before that great assize,

When at that dreadful day of doom

There you will keep him when you come,

And see what doom to him you'll give.

Then will he rise: then will he live.











JESUS



I tell you all, both man and wife,

I am the rising, I am the life;

And whoever truly trusts in me,

Who ever was and ever shall be,

A great gift shall I to him give:

Though he be dead, yet shall he live.

Say now, women, trust you not this?





MARY



Yes, truly, my great Lord of bliss.





JESUS



Then shall I grant you both my aid.

Show me where his body is laid.



(They go to the tomb)



Father that sits on heaven's height,

I thank thee always for all things,

Thou who hear'st me day and night

And takest heed of my asking.



Now Lord, vouchsafe of thy great might,

So that this people, old and young,

Who stand and wait to see this sight,

May now believe and have knowing -

Now here before I pass -

How that thou me hast sent.

Lazare, veni foras!

Come forth from thy cold monument!



(Lazarus emerges from the tomb)





LAZARUS



Lord, that made all things of nought,

All praises be to thee,

Who such a wonder here has wrought.

Greater may none be!

When I was dead, hell's gate I sought,

And thou, Lord Almighty,

Raised me up and thence me brought.

Behold and you may see!





JESUS



Friends, behold the time of mercy

Which now is come, without a doubt,

Which I have preached all round about.



Now Simon the leper has asked me

In his home in charity

To eat with him.  This pleases me.





JOHN



Great joy will Simon have to see

Your coming there.





PETER



A leper was he

Whom you cleansed and made all fair.





(The house of Simon the leper)





SIMON



Welcome Jesus, full of grace:

Glad I am to see your face

Here in my house, this simple place.

For Lord, a leper foul was I

And now am cleansed, thy power by.



(Enter Mary Magdalene)





MARY



Welcome my loving Lord!  I kneel.

Welcome who comes my heart to heal,

My love and all my bliss.

From you, my Lord, I cannot conceal

How through my sinful flesh so frail

I have lived sore amiss.

Ointment have I ready

To annoint thy sweet body.

Although I am a wretch unworthy

Send me not from your side.

Full of sin and shame am I,

But for it, Lord, am I sorry.

Heal me through your great mercy

And be my guide.



(She annoints Jesus with the ointment)





PETER



Ah Judas, why does Jesus so?

He really ought to make her go,

This woman of sin and woe,

For fear of the world's blame.

And if he a true prophet were

He would know of her life here

And not allow her to come near,

For the sake of his good name.





JUDAS



Simon my brother, the truth to say,

I like not this in any way.

The ointment she pours so fast away

Is worth a good high price.

This same box might have been sold

For three hundred pence all told

To be given to the poor and old -

Or so I would advise.





JESUS



Simon,

You invite me to your house, and yet

Give me no water for my feet.

But she washed them with tears wet.



Did you kiss me when I did come?

But since she came into the room

She has kissed my feet each one.



And Judas, also to you I say,

A good deed has she done this day,

For the poor you have with you alway,

But me just for a while.



Now, woman who lov'st so tenderly,

Thy sins are all forgiven thee.

Thy belief hath ransomed thee.





MARY



My Christ, my comfort and my king!

I worship thee in everything,

For thou hast freed me from great woe.





JESUS



Now to Jerusalem must I go.



Ah Jerusalem, holy city,

Unknown today it is to thee

What peace thou hast.  Can'st thou not see?

From sorrow thou can'st not hide:

Much must thou suffer in the coming days

When woes shall fall in every way

And thou shalt be beguiled

With misery on every side.

Destroyed dolefully, driven down,

No stone left standing in this whole town

Shall be: in the dust shall lie the crown

And the men in the tomb.

For God's own visitation,

Done for man's salvation,

Receives no devotion:

They fear not his doom.



(Triumphal entry into Jerusalem)



(Exeunt all except Judas)





JUDAS



By dear God in majesty,

I am as angry as I can be!

And in some way revengŠd will be

As best I may.

My master Jesus, as all did see,

Was annointed on head and foot and knee

With an ointment far more dainty

Than I have seen for many a day.



If I of it had had mastery

I would have sold it quickly

And put it in our treasury

And of it took my pay.



Sir Caiaphas and his company

Conspire Jesus to annoy:

Their councils shall I now espy

And with falsehood will smear him.

I shall teach them to draw nigh

For of his counsel well know I.

I may best betray him.



(Exit)



(The High Priest's house)





CAIAPHAS



Listen lords, followers of the law,

Jesus to him all men can draw,

All men throughout our race.

If we let him long go on

All men will believe him upon

And the Romans will come anon

And drive us from our place.



Therefore, my lords, we must use our heads

And work out how he might be dead,

For if for long his life be led

Our law goes all to nought.

Therefore let each man give counsel

What crafty way might best avail

This Jesus to assail.

Some trick must now be sought.





ANNAS



Sir, you speak most skillfully.

But all men must surely see

That he does us no villainy.

In no way dare we fail.

For you all know as well as I

How we have often planned to try

But he has ever had victory.

Our plans were of no avail.





PHARISEE



Sirs, the strength of his speaking is now so strong

Save he shortly be slain he shapes us to end.

For he causes the common crowd him for to call

Great God's son: thus grieves he us all.

And he says in supreme sovereignity sit he soon shall

In height of high heaven, for there is his hall.





ANNAS



Aye, among the crowd he has the name

That he is God's son, and no one else.

And he himself, he says the same -

That God his father in heaven dwells,

That he shall rule both wild and tame.

In all such babbling he excels!

It is the devil's game!





CAIAPHAS



What man could trust the tales that he tells?





ANNAS



And yet they do on every hand -

And each man holds him as his brother,

Such clever tricks does he understand.





PHARISEE



There never was such another.



(Enter Judas)





JUDAS



Masters, joy amongst you run

And grace this noble company.



CAIAPHAS



Who is this?  Whence have you sprung?

We did not send for thee.





JUDAS



Good sirs, if I come you among

Great profit of it you soon shall see.

For sirs, I mean you not to grieve:

My venture then would not avail.





ANNAS



You may not come without our leave

Amid our private high counsel.





JUDAS



Sir, my presence may both please and pay

All you great lords that gather here.

That Jesus, who does your power dismay

With wondrous works in our land here,

If you will crush him as you say,

The way to do it I will make clear.





ANNAS



What is your name?  Tell quick! no lies!

We will know if you do us wrong.





JUDAS



Judas Iscariot called am I,

Who with that prophet has dwellŠd long.





CAIAPHAS



Sir, you are a welcome ally!

Your purpose here now would we know.







JUDAS



To sell you Jesus - if you would buy.

Deal with me fairly, or I go.





CAIAPHAS



Yes friend, in faith will we!

And now clearly say

How that bargain will be

And promptly will we pay.





ANNAS



Now Judas, since he shall be sold,

How value you him?  Tell that to me.





JUDAS



For thirty pence - 'tis easily told -

Or else the bargain may not be.

This much he made me lose,

Most selfishly and ill.

Therefore you now must choose

To buy, or leave him still.





CAIAPHAS



Certainly sir, you speak right well.

Since Jesus tricked you by some sleight,

Repay your wrong, your hurt now heal,

And for his fury have no fright.





ANNAS



And as you ask, so shall we deal:

Here you shall have what is your right.

But look that we no treason feel!





JUDAS



Good sir, my promise here I plight:

What I have spoken in my spite

I shall fulfil in deed.

And this, I swear, is in my might:

I shall fulfil your need.

On Friday, in the morn or night,

I shall bring him to your sight

And tell you which is he.

And this true sign I shall display -

Watch out for whom I kiss.

That shall be he, the truth to say:

Take him by what force you may,

And lead him slyly away,

Whatever your plan is.



(Exeunt)



(Enter Jesus and Disciples for the Last Supper)





JESUS



Go, brethren, each one to his seat.

The Paschal lamb now let us eat.





This is my body, flesh and blood,

That for you shall die upon the rood.



This is my blood, that for man's sin

Out of my heart shall run.



(Judas dips his bread in Jesus' dish)



Judas, tell me: what mean'st you to do?





JUDAS



Nothing Lord, but to eat with you.





JESUS



Brethren, listen, I you pray.

One of you shall me betray.





PETER



Lord, whoever that may be,

I shall never betray thee!

Surely, master, it is not I?





JESUS



Not you Peter, certainly.



(All, except Judas, say "Is it I?", until....)





JOHN



Lord, should I, John, betray thee?





JESUS



Those who have spoken, you are not he.

But he who eats from my own dish,

My life's betrayal is his wish.





JUDAS



What then! think you me to name?





JESUS



You speak true: you bear the blame.

As you have spoken, so let it be.

What you must do, do quickly.



(Exit Judas)





JESUS



Each one of you shall this night

Forsake me - and well you might.





PETER



Though all others from you fly,

Never, Lord, never shall I!





JESUS



Peter, thrice you shall deny me so

And forsake me 'ere the morning cock crow.





PETER



Lord, even if I should die

Forsake thee I shall not!





JESUS



Peter, Peter, I say truly,

Into such fear you shall be brought

That 'ere the cock can have crowed twice

You shall have denied me thrice.



Now come, now sit here at your ease:

I wash your feet upon my knees.





PETER



Lord, do you kneel and wash my feet?

That I wash yours would be more meet.





JESUS



You know not yet why I do so,

Peter.  Hereafter you shall know.





PETER



No master, no!  I you implore

Wash my feet no more.





JESUS



Unless I wash you, you shall miss

To share with me in heaven's bliss.





	



PETER



Nay Lord!  Before I that forgo

Wash feet and head and hands also!





JESUS



Now shall I tell you - take good heed -

Why I, your master, have done this deed.

You call me Master and Lord by name:

You speak full well, for so I am.

As doth your Lord and Master kneel

To wash your feet, so must you deal.



Now, look your hearts be grievŠd nought,

Neither in dread nor woe:

But trust in God who has you wrought,

And trust in me also.



In my father's house, indeed,

Is many a meet homestead

That hereafter as their meed

Men shall have when they are dead.



Now here I may no more abide

But I shall go before,

That your going I may guide

And bring you to that shore.



I shall come to you again

And take you there with me,

That wherever I remain

You shall for ever be.



I am the way, the path of truth,

The life that ever shall be,

And to my father comes none, in truth,

Except they come by me.



Rise you up each one

And go we on our way -

That path I may not shun -

To Olivet to pray.

Peter, James, and thou, John,

Rise up and follow me.





(They go to the Garden of Gethsemane)



JESUS



My time is speedily coming on,

Abide you here, you three,

And pray you here while you have breath

That from the tempter God you save.

My soul is heavy unto death,

To go down to the grave.



(He prays in silence.  The Disciples fall asleep)



Father, let this pain be still

And pass away from me:

But, Father, not my will

But thine fulfilled must be.



(He turns to the Disciples)



Peter I say, sleepest thou?

Awake, I tell you all!

Satan attacks you now

Into despair to fall.



Father, thy son I was,

Of thee I ask this boon:

If this pain may not pass,

Father, let it be soon!



(Turning again to the Disciples)



You sleep, brethren, still, I see.

It is for sorrow that you do so.

Here for so long you've wept for me

That you are dazed and lapped in woe.



Dear Father, hear thou my will!

This passion put from me away!

But if my life I must needs spill,

I shall fulfil thy will today.

Therefore this bitter passion

If I may not put by,

My doom, in humble fashion,

I meet, for comfort sure is nigh.



(Turning again to the Disciples)



Sleep on now, and take your rest.

My time now is near at hand.

I am near the traitors' nest,

Betrayed into the sinners' hand.



(Enter Judas, with soldiers)



Sirs, in your going you make great haste

To seek for him that will not flee.

Tell me sirs, who is it you chase?





MALCHUS



Jesus of Nazareth, him seek we.





JESUS



He stands ready: I am he.





JUDAS



Ah sweet master, kiss me,

For it is long since I saw thee.



(Kisses Jesus)



Come, together we will flee

And steal from them away.





JESUS



I said before: again I say.

I am he: in good faith,

Suffer these men to go their way.

For I am at your will.





MALCHUS



False thief! you shall be gone

To Bishop Caiaphas anon

Or I shall break you, body and bone.





PETER



Thief!  How are you so bold

My master so roughly to hold!

You shall be rewarded a hundredfold

And more!  Now I tell you, remember that!

To be so bold, now say I,

To take my master and him to tie!

Full dearly that deed you shall buy.

Prepare now for Heaven bright!



(He cuts off Malchus' ear)



Go, now complain to Caiaphas

And bid him make you right!





MALCHUS



Alas the day that I was born!

The day that I took breath!

My ear from me he has torn.

Help!  I bleed to death.





JESUS



Peter, put up your sword, say I.

Whoever with the sword smites gladly

With that same sword will perish thereby.



(He heals Malchus' ear)





MALCHUS



O well is me!  O well is me!

My ear is healed!  Look and see!

As merciful a man as he

Knew I never none.





SOLDIER



Yet although he has healed thee,

To save him, that may not be.

Off to Sir Caiaphas must he:

With us he must be gone.









JESUS



As to a thief you came here,

With swords and staves drawing near,

To take me in this foul manner

And wreak your wicked will.

I was in the temple many a day

But you did never your hands on me lay:

But now is come that time and day

Your desire to fulfil.





SOLDIER



Come, Jesus, to Sir Caiaphas

Or you shall have but little grace.

Move more swiftly than this slow pace

And hurry from this ground.

Though Beelzbub, the devil's mate,

Come to your help, it is your fate

To have your hands bound,

And in this state

Be marched most swiftly round.





(Exeunt)



(The trial before the High Priests)





SOLDIER



Sir Caiaphas, here have we brought

A wretch who much woe has wrought

And who would bring our law to naught,

For it he has spurned.





ANNAS



Ah jangling Jesu, are you here?

Now may you prove your power

And whether your cause is clean and clear.

Your Christhood we would know.





CAIAPHAS



Did you do this ill of which all men accuse you?

How can you stand so still?  Can anything excuse you?

To hang you high on a hill, that is how we will use you;

To damn!

Say, God's son of heaven art thou

As thou art wont to avow?





JESUS



So thou sayest, even now,

And so I am.

And here I tell you surely

That yet you shall me see

Sit on God's right hand truly,

Mankind to justify.





CAIAPHAS



Listen to all that he says here!

What need of witnesses is there?

	



ANNAS



Death is the sentence he deserves for that.





CAIAPHAS



Then beat him and send him to Pilate.





(Jesus is beaten by the soldiers)



(The scene changes to outside.)





MAID



It seems to me

That one of his disciples you must be.





PETER



No, woman, I have never seen this man

Since the world first began.





MAID



You are one his crew!

By your face I know you.





PETER



Woman, you speak amiss of me!  It is not so!

I tell you I do not him know!





SOLDIER



You're the one cut Malchus' ear

When we took him in the garden.

And when we soldiers brought him here

You all forsook and spurned him.





PETER



I do not know him!  By him that made me!

If you'll believe me when I do,

I'll swear before this company

That what I say is true!



(The cock crows)



(Horrified reaction from Peter)



(The trial before Pilate)





CAIAPHAS



Sir Pilate, listen to our cause.

Before you we have Jesus brought

Who brings our law into disgrace

And much distress has wrought.





ANNAS



Yes sir, and more - the worst of all!

He defies Caesar, king renowned.

The king of the Jews he calls himself

And brings the Emperor's power down.



CAIAPHAS



We cannot tell you half the shame

That in our land this Christ has wrought.

So we demand in Caesar's name

That he to death in haste be brought.





PILATE



Jesus, they say you are a king,

And son of God - you are also

Lord of the earth and of all things.

Tell me now - is this so?





JESUS



In heaven is known my father's will,

Why in this world I was born.

Sent by my father, here I dwell

To comfort those that are forlorn.





PILATE



Sirs, from this answer, in good reason,

In him can I find no treason.





ANNAS



Caesar shall be told of this

If you let Jesus loose.





PILATE



You gentle bishops, tell me this:

Of what do you him accuse?





CAIAPHAS



Sir, had he not great evil wrought

We would not him to you have brought.





PILATE



Then let him by your law be tried.





CAIAPHAS



Our law cannot order him to die.





PILATE



Then find another judge if you can.

I see no error in this man.





ANNAS



A list of crimes to you we've brought

Which from Galilee to here he's wrought.





PILATE



Aha, now this make clear to me:

Was Jesus born in Galilee?





CAIAPHAS



There was he born, my lord.  That's true.





PILATE



Then I know rightly what to do.

The judgement of Jesus lies not with me,

For Herod is king of that country.

To Herod take him!



(Herod's Court)





HEROD12



Jesus, welcome here to me!

O! how I have longed this man to see!

With you I hear are wonders rife:

You make lepers whole and fair to see,

Those who are dead you restore to life,

Make the lame walk and the blind man see.



Now Jesus, I gladly would see

A miracle wrought in my presence.

In haste now!  Do it with diligence

And in my favour you surely shall be.

Here you are in my presence:

Your life and death lie here with me.



Come Jesus, why do you not speak to your king?

Why do you stand there so still?

You know that I judge everything.

Your life and death are at my will.



What, false traitor, no word for me?

Do you fear to speak to your king?

I think because you break the law daily

You are afraid of talking!



What?  Silence again?  Foul slave, damn you!

Look up!  Look up!  The devil will teach you!

No!  Take him now to Pilate away!

Greet him well, and this to him say,

All my friendship he shall have.

I give him Jesus, to damn or to save.

Do with him as he thinks is right.

Now remove him from my sight!





(Before Pilate)





ANNAS



Lord Pilate, the king has sent

Jesus to you, for your judgement.





PILATE



Fault in him can I find none.

Nor can Herod, for he sent him on.

Therefore it is best we let him begone

Out of these doors and away.









ANNAS



Nail him!  Nail him! we cry with one voice!

	



CAIAPHAS



Aye!  Nail him! nail him to a cross!



(The crowd shouts "Nail him!")





PILATE



Silence, for shame!  Now still your noise!

My plans now will I say.

You know, each of you standing near,

That I must release you a prisoner

For that feast approaches near.

All in honour of that day

Should Jesus delivered be?





ANNAS



No!  To suffer death worthy is he!

And to that, cry out all we

That Barrabas be saved.



(Cries of "Barrabas" from the crowd)





PILATE



Then what shall I do with this Jesus here,

That Christ is called and held in fear?



(Cries of "Crucify him!")





PILATE



It seems to me a startling thing

That you would bring to naught

One that is your lord and king

After all that he has wrought.







CAIAPHAS



Sir, Caesar is our lord and king!



(Cries of "Caesar" and "Crucify him!")





PILATE



Lords, I find no cause can be

To condemn this man before me.

But since you wish your king to suffer,

To scourge him now is all I offer.



(The Scourging)





PILATE



My lords, behold the man!

Beaten and broken and brought you before

To doom him to death I deplore.





CAIAPHAS



Pilate, do as we say you must:

Condemn to death this Jesus,

Or to Caesar we shall him entrust.

Crucify him now for us.





PILATE



Now since I see you so fervent

And set that his life shall be rent,

I will wash here, in your presence,

Rage howsoever you should.

You all shall know this my intent

That I am clean and innocent.

By washing my hands all this is meant:

I am free of this man's blood.



(Jesus is led away.)13



(The four torturers meet Jesus: they take the cross from him and
lay him on it)







TORTURER 114



Yae tie a knot wi' aal yor strength

And drag 'is arms oot tae full length.





TORTURER 4



That's it!  Noo fasten tight that band

An' aa'll start on the other hand.

Yer stupid man!





TORTURER 3



Wae's stupid?





TORTURER 4



Ye!

It needs, as any fyul can see,

Half his span, not more.





TORTURER 1



Haad doon his knees.





TORTURER 2



Aa'll dae that part.

His nurse had nae mair willin' heart.





TORTURER 1



Drag doon his legs an' fix them bands.

Noo, heave on his arms an' lash his hands.

How! Dae ye think this is a game?

Yer not pullin' both the same.





TORTURER 4



Na! someone's slackin'.  Haway, yer not right!







TORTURER 1



Noo, drag oot his arms.  Noo, tie them tight.





TORTURER 4



Reet, hoo's that?





TORTURER31



Aye, that'll  last.

Nae man cold dae any better than that.





TORTURER 1



Haad him steady.  See his hands are flat.

Noo through his hands drive the nail

So it's certain it won't fail

And tear the palm apart.





TORTURER 4



Aa'll dae that!  Let me start!





TORTURER 3



Let me dae it.



	

TORTURER 4



If ye can.





TORTURER 3



Why, aa'm the better man!





TORTURER 1



Noo his feet.  Hey you!

Tak this hammer an' nail them through.

Noo let's see who'll give his best,

Give aal his might and force.





TORTURER 4



Lift! lift!





TORTURER 2



Again! once more!





TORTURER 4



Noo, heave it up!





TORTURER 1



Noo let it rest.





TORTURER 2



Haad it steady, one an' aal.





TORTURER 4



Into the mortise let it faal,

An' then it's sure tae stand.





TORTURER 3



Hey! see the ruler o' the world

Raised up be our hands!





TORTURER 1



Hail king of the Jews, if sae ye be!





TORTURER 2



Haway doon noo off that tree!



TORTURER 3



An' aal of us will worship thee!



(Enter Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas)



(Pilate beckons to Torturer 4)





PILATE



Come hither.  Nail this to the tree.

Since he the king of the Jews will be

He must have recognition.

"Jesus of Nazareth" men may see;

"King of the Jews" - how like ye? -

I wrote thereon.  So said he,

For all this was his mission.





CAIAPHAS



Ah Pilate, you do a sorry deed.

You should have written that all may read

How he did here lie indeed

That he was king of the Jews.





PILATE



What I have written, I have written.





JESUS



Father almighty, maker of men,

Forgive these men that do me woe.

Forgive them, father; forgive them then,

For what they do they do not know.





(Enter Mary the mother of Jesus, John and other Disciples)



(Music : Stabat Mater)



(The next three speeches are said during the "Stabat Mater")





JESUS



Ah woman, behold thy son,

And for thy mother take her, John.

Eloi eloi lama sabacthani!

My father in heaven so high

Why dost thou me forsake?





TORTURER 3



Lord, we greet you noo wi' scorn

And beg ye every eve an' morn

Tae tak good care o' aal the corn

An' scare away the crows.





JESUS



Into thy hands, oh Lord!

Holy Father, in heavenly see,

I commend my spirit to thee.



It is finished.





(In silence the body of Jesus is taken down from the cross and
carried to a	tomb where it is laid.  All exeunt.)



(Quiet "Te deum" during which the three Marys enter and approach
the tomb.

The "Te deum" becomes a triumphal march and Jesus emerges.  All
kneel.)





JESUS



Man of earth, whom I have wrought,

Now awake and slumber not!

Thou hast with bitter grief been bought

And been made free.

In death's deep dungeon I thee sought,

For love of thee.



I made thee clean, oh man of sin!

From woe and sorrow thee to win

From heart and side my blood did run

And made thee free.

For that I died - yea I, God's son -

For love of thee.



And for that love which I have shown

To thee, return I ask.  Now be it known,

I ask thy love, that simple thing,

And that thou striv'st to flee from sin

And live in charity with men.

Then in my bliss

Thou shalt remain

Always.







The End of the Play









PRODUCTION NOTES



	The play was originally written to tour churches of all kinds
(although it was only taken by Anglicans and Catholics, it was
actually offered to Methodists and all the others) and so it is
flexible enough to fit into any space.  Since the first tour it
has seen productions in many different venues and on many
different kinds of stage - proscenium, thrust and open.  No
scenery is required - even the cross is not necessary - and only
hand props are needed, and they are very few.  Theatrical
lighting is also not essential, although it can add a great
deal.  A few notes on lighting follow below.

	I would make one plea, however: having sat through a number of
productions of various kinds (not only of this play) in
churches, I do most strongly recommend that you build a raised
acting area.  If you don't, I can guarantee that those sitting
in the third row and behind will only see the heads and
shoulders of the actors and will go away feeling short-changed. 
Most will be far too polite to say so, of course, but they won't
come back next time!





The Setting

Although the play was written to be performed in churches, that
does not, as the previous paragraph shows, mean that it cannot
be done in other types of venue.  I was not entirely happy with
it on a pros. arch stage, but that could have been the
production rather than the type of staging.  It would be
interesting to see it done as a promenade production: I have
toyed myself with the idea of having a number of settings,
perhaps next to each other or perhaps with some distance
between, with the characters unique to each scene remaining on
their particular set and only coming to life when the action
switches to them.  However only amateurs could do that - it
would be far too expensive in numbers of actors for a
professional company.  The script is very flexible in terms of
transitions between scenes and so can be adapted to almost any
kind of staging.





The Verse

Verse plays are difficult for modern actors, particularly
amateurs, and this one is especially difficult, for not only
does it consist of a large number of different verse forms, but
some of them are almost what we might consider doggerel and
others are completely unfamiliar.  There are echoes of the
medieval Latin hymns:



Dies irae, dies illa,

Solvet saeclum in favilla,

Teste David cum Sybilla



and of the Border Ballads:



The king sat in Dunfermline toon

Drinking the blude red wine,

"O waur will I get a skeely skipper

Tae sail this new ship o' mine?"



and we even find a number of examples of the most early form of
English verse, the Alliterative:



Sith that the sege and assaut was cesed at Troie,

The burg brittened and brent to brandes and askes,

The tulke that the trammels of tresoun there wroughte

Was tried for his tricherie, the trewest on erthe.



	The secret is to allow the sense to dictate the way in which
the lines are said and let the verse take care of itself. 
Don't, whatever you do, endstop the lines or you will fall into
that jingly-jangly way of speaking which will lose all the sense
and bore the listener to death.  One tip: alliterative verse is
used for solemn moments so an almost declamatory style would not
be out of place here.





Costume



Medieval audiences, like those of Shakespeare's day, did not
expect historical accuracy in costuming a play: on the contrary
they expected that dress would be contemporary.  Modern
audiences, however, do expect a degree of historical costume; in
particular they seem unable to conceive of Jesus in anything
other than the traditional white robe - even the film version of
Jesus Christ Superstar was unable to get away from that.  On the
other hand, generations of infant Nativity Plays have made
traditional Middle Eastern garb (generally represented by a
striped dressing gown and a tea-towel and string head-dress!)
something of a joke on the stage.



We are fortunate that even the least sophisticated modern
audience - and television and the cinema have probably made the
present generation the most sophisticated ever in terms of
visual imagery - will accept a mixture of costume styles in one
play.  It is therefore possible to dress each character in a way
which is symbolic of its function.  Hence we can accept, as in
Superstar, Jesus in his white robe, the High Priests in black
(highly symbolic that - almost a return to the white and black
hats of the old Westerns!), and soldiers in steel helmets with
automatic weapons.



The Passion has seen many different costume styles in its
various productions.  In one, for instance, Herod was a Gadaafi
figure and his messenger dressed in black motorbike leathers and
carried an Uzi.  In the same version Joseph wore a rather worn
and threadbare suit, about twenty years out of date, for his
trip to Bethlehem and a pair of overalls and flat cap (with his
carpenter's pencil stuck behind his ear) for when he was at
home.  For the shepherds it was donkey jackets and wellies with
scarves or balaclavas (or both), whilst Pilate wore a toga.



Just as it seems inpossible to dress Jesus in anything other
than a white robe with sandals, so Mary is inconceivable (no pun
intended!) in anything other than a simple blue dress, with or
without shawl.



The biggest problem of all is caused by Adam and Eve.  The ideal
answer, of course, is for them to wear nothing, as in the
National Theatre's The Mysteries, but that is hardly a solution
which will recommend itself to an amateur group working in a
Church!  In the first production of The Passion, by the
Wearabout Theatre Company, they wore flesh-coloured
bodystockings, but I confess I found that more offensive than
nudity: they looked naked and yet weren't.  In fact, when they
were first seen (from behind) members of the audience towards
the back could be heard asking each other, "Are they or aren't
they?"!  Very distracting!  I have also seen them in white
trousers and tee-shirts (OK, but....) and white bodystockings,
which was probably the best compromise - except that they were
the shiny kind used for aerobics which just looked rather silly.



In fact, within the limits of what the audience will accept, you
have more freedom in costuming than in most plays.  Here is a
perfect opportunity for the Designer really to exercise his/her
imagination.





Lighting

You don't need stage lighting to do this play, but if it's
available it adds a great deal, particularly if you can use it
selectively.  Transitions from scene to scene can be made so
much more effectively by the use of lighting, and moods can be
set before a word is spoken or a move made.





Music

The original production featured a professional theatre company
and an amateur choir of very good standing.  The play was
therefore conceived right from the start as having a strong
musical ingredient.  In preliminary discussions between the
Director, the Musical Director and myself it was clear that we
were in full agreement as to the kind of music to use: it was to
be medieval.  Accordingly throughout the script there are
suggestions about music.  These are an amalgam of what was done
in the original production and other things which subsequent
productions have shown to work well.  There is no necessity to
follow these suggestions: they can be replaced by other music of
the same type, by modern music or even by works specially
written for the play.  Most productions in churches have
included congregational singing and this has proved very
effective.  It is not absolutely essential for there to be music
at all, but if it is omitted one or two of the transitions will
be a little difficult.



How the singers are to be used is entirely up to the director
and his M.D..  The first production kept actors (all Equity
members) and singers (all amateurs) totally separate, with the
singers actually being in the church's choir stalls and wearing
surplices.  Another production was based around the chorus with
actors emerging from it for their moment on stage and then
returning, whilst a production I directed myself had the chorus
being the crowd throughout: the customers at the inn through
which Joseph had to force his way to speak to the innkeeper,
Herod's courtiers, followers of John the Baptist, lookers-on
throughout Jesus' ministry, those who called for his
crucifixion, and so on.  Again, there's no right way of doing
it: the play is very flexible.



As far as the size of the cast is concerned, the original
production had eight actors but it has also been done with
fifty.  There is a great deal of scope for doubling: only the
Christmas section involves as many as nine actors and that can
be handled by making Gabriel a disembodied voice and keeping
Joseph out of the Shepherds and Kings scenes, as was done in the
first production.  There is no reason why some of the
traditionally male parts should not be played by women.  Having
one or two of the shepherds, for instance, as women does not
grate, and having women as angels works well.



There are, in fact 44 speaking parts but this number can be
considerably reduced by careful doubling or even trebling.  In
most cases it is as well to conceal the fact of doubling but in
others dramatic points can be made by emphasising it. 
Lucifer/Satan/Herod is a case in point. I would suggest the
following as a convenient and dramatically effective cast list
for a reasonably small company.  This halves the number of
actors needed but does not make too many demands (in terms of
characterisation or even speed of changing!) on most:



God/Jesus						Lucifer/Satan/both Herods

Angel 1/Gabriel					Angel 2/Mary (sister of Martha)/Maid

Angel 3/Martha/Mary Magdalen			Lightborne/Caiaphas

Isaiah/John the Baptist				Shepherd 1/Torturer 1

Shepherd 2/Torturer 2					Shepherd 3/Torturer 3

Pharisee/Torturer 4					Adam/Joseph

Eve/Mary the mother of Jesus				Herod's Messenger/Malchus

King 1/Pilate						King 2/Annas

King 3/Judas						Simon the Leper/Soldier

Lazarus/Innkeeper					Peter

John







There are many permutations, so even if your company is quite
small don't be put off - remember, the first production was done
with eight actors, a PA system and a Rank Strand Pattern 264
spotlight!



Notes in the Text



1.	How to play God?  Traditionally he is impressive, bearded,
dressed in rich clothing and the possessor of a fine bass voice.
If you follow this line then he is best placed in the church's
pulpit (particularly if it is high and ornate) and brightly lit.
Wearabout's production used a 1K spotlight trained on the
audience from behind the altar, with his voice being that of
Jesus broadcast over a P.A. system.  That worked well.



2.	The descent of Lucifer and the Fallen Angels into Hell is
difficult to do convincingly.  Two alternatives, both of which
work well in their own way, are to plunge the place into
darkness and concentrate attention on the voices, perhaps using
a P.A., or to go wild with special lighting effects if they are
available.  If it is possible for their costumes to change to
black (reversible cloaks?), it would be very effective.



3.	The problem of the costuming of Adam and Eve is dealt with in
the Production Notes: what is equally difficult is how you
actually get them on stage in the first place.  On a pros. arch
stage, of course, they can simply step out of the wings, but on
an open stage or in a church you have to create somewhere for
them to appear from.  In a church they could come from behind
the altar or, as in the original production, from the back.



4.	Lucifer is, of course, Satan.  Having been ejected from
Heaven he could no longer be "Light-bearer", but they are the
same character and should be played by the same actor (or
actress - there is nothing to say that angels have to be male). 
However the black and white nature of the medieval mind requires
a change of costume, but the traditional red with horns and
forked tail is too chidren's storybook for modern audiences.  I
suggest exactly the same costume as when he was an angel, only
in black instead of white.



5.	This transition should be very dramatic.  Why not do the full
town crier thing, bell and all?



6.	Traditionally Joseph is old and querelous.  Whilst it would
be wrong to make him a doddering senior citizen, it would be
disastrous to have him as a sprightly thirty year old.  He must
be considerably older than Mary, and he must certainly be
querelous.



7.	The shepherds are the comic relief.  That's not my idea: it
is - again - traditional.  I've made them Geordies (well, for
the purist they actually mackems - Barbary Coasters Wearsiders-
canny lads from Sunderland!) because that's where the play was
to be done, but there's no reason why they couldn't be Scousers,
Brummies....anything.



8.	To the medieval mind Herod was the embodiment of evil.  And
why not? how else can you describe someone who executed hundreds
of babies to keep, as he thought, his throne.  And to the
medieval mind, someone who is really evil rejoices in it and has
absolutely no redeeming qualities.  Hence this, by modern
standards, appallingly melodramatic characterisation.  You
mustn't tone it down: on the contrary, play it up for all its
worth.  It's a wonderful part for an actor with some ham in him.
I love playing it myself!  Incidentally, the original production
doubled Herod with Lucifer/Satan - a nice idea, which reflects
the way in which the people of the Middle Ages saw him.



9.	The Massacre of the Innocents does, it must be admitted,
present some staging problems.  My original idea was for the
Coventry Carol to be sung here: it's simple and very effective. 
Other productions have kept that but added, in one case, miming
of the Massacre (which didn't work) and, in another, the
projection of slides of man's inhumanity to man (which worked
well).



10.	The change of tone from the Massacre of the Innocents to
John the Baptist is a difficult one.  A stage production could
possibly use an interval here and a production in a church might
make use of a congregational hymn but I confess that I think
either of these strategems spoil the emotional effect.  I would
suggest a pause, nothing more, but a pause of such a length that
an actor would find it almost intolerable.  This needs careful
handling: it must not look like a mistake (someone has forgotten
to come on!) but should be done in such a way as to reinforce
the emotion rather than weaken it.  A full-stage freeze,
followed by a loud entrance by the Baptist, is my own
preference, but that does imply somebody on the stage.  Of
course, if you use the slide idea then you can keep the last
slide - which must be the most heart-rending of the lot - on the
screen for a long time after the singing has ceased.



11.	Although theologically the calling of the Disciples is
important, in dramatic terms it is something of a non-event.  If
you really need to include it, then use mime, possibly
accompanied by a choral or solo piece or a congregational hymn. 
If you're using modern dress - and why not? after all, the
original performers did! - why not have them "planted" in the
audience/congregation?



12.	It's not the same Herod, of course.  This is Herod Antipas:
the other was Herod the Great, but all the signs are that the
people of the Middle Ages didn't make the distinction, so why
should we?  Strict historical accuracy is rather out of place in
the Mysteries.



13.	From the condemnation to the crucifixion is a sequence of
events which is, again, left to the individual director.  The
choice is between a depiction of the mockery with the crown of
thorns and the purple robe, followed by the passage through the
streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha, including the story of Simon
of Cyrene, or a swift transition to the Torturers' scene.  I
favour the full story, done in complete silence and utilising
the whole of the theatre/church.  I would even go so far as to
have a jeering crowd, mouthing their insults and their noise but
with no sound being made.  It could be accompanied by music,
but- for once - I feel that this would detract from the dramatic
effect.



14.	Again the Torturers are mackems!  There's a good reason for
this: I wanted it to be perfectly clear that they are ordinary
people, not devils in any way.  It has been suggested that these
parts should be doubled by the Fallen Angels from the Creation
story but I feel that the point that it was the fickleness of
ordinary people which ultimately killed Christ is best made by
doubling the Torturers with the Shepherds, and that is how I
recommend the scene be played.  However it is a matter of
interpretation and yours may be very different from mine.  I
still think I'm right, though.....!





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Plays by Peter D. Lathan



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by Peter D. Lathan





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