News
We know where we’re going after the Mystery Plays
How do we follow the huge success of the 2018 Waggon Plays in a year when we have no Mystery Play performances?
Our plan is to stage our own production – an annual Nativity for York, which will keep alive the skills, support and enthusiasm generated through the Mystery Plays over the years.
We’ve already had enthusiastic support from York Theatre Royal, Riding Lights, the Minster and York Festival Trust, plus we now have the support of the York Business Improvement District (BID) and Make It York.
In keeping with the existing performance traditions we’ve been looking at medieval nativity plays as a source for this production. It’s important that it is both visible and accessible. We want to ensure that it appeals to members, the community, residents and visitors to York.
The great news is we’ve agreed with the Spurriergate Centre, York, will host the 2019 production. The informality of this space will lend itself to an interesting and welcoming dramatic opportunity for the cast and the audience.
Performances are planned as as follows:
December 12 and 13 – Two evening shows;
December 14 – Three shows;
December 15 – Two shows.
Each performance lasting for one hour.
A successful Nativity could become an integral part of York Christmas – a win for the City!
Nativity Director Appointed
We’re delighted to announce that Philip Parr, a widely experienced director of theatre, opera and festivals, has been appointed to direct our first production. He will head up our team at as the programme of designing, casting and rehearsing the play gets underway over the coming weeks.
Philip has worked both in the UK and internationally and has established a reputation as a director of large scale community productions collaborating with communities across Europe.
His theatre work, ranging from main house productions, to small scale rural touring has been seen around the world.
Philip has worked at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, The Bayerisches Staatsoper the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and was founder and artistic director of Spitalfields Opera. He directed the Swaledale Festival, Bath Shakespeare Festival, is a founding member of the European Shakespeare Festivals network and director of the York International Shakespeare Festival.
We’re looking forward to working with Philip over the next few months.
