Contemporary productions of medieval theatre

Mystery plays were a popular form of entertainment during the medieval period of Europe. First performed as early as 1376, they remained a significant aspect of life in medieval communities for the next 200 years. Contemporary productions of these medieval theatre pieces continue today and are enjoyed by large audiences of all ages. The medieval mystery plays have been performed over the years in many different levels of production — from large professional theatres such as the Royal National Theatre, to small town community theatres in several different countries.
Staging
In the Middle Ages, the mystery plays were not performed in theatres built to house performances as most plays are today. The mystery plays were put on anywhere from the front steps of a church, to the halls of nobility, to the middle of a public street. On occasion a type of staging called place-and-scaffold was used, which included building a mounted platform anywhere from a large arena to several tiny platform stages in a churchyard. The medieval cycle plays were typically performed outside, on mobile stages called pageant wagons in the busy streets of cities. When medieval mystery plays are staged as modern productions, very often these same outdoor theatre venues are adapted so they function well today. In modern staging, the use of several stations, each with a small stage, allows the actors to play to and interact with a smaller audience than is typically found in most contemporary theatres. Theatres with fixed seating divide the world of the action happening on stage from the audience, whereas contemporary productions of the mystery plays allow for a more intimate and interactive actor/audience relationship. This relationship to the modern audience, along with the unique staging and location, allow those watching the production to have a role nearly as important as the actors and writers to the creation of the play’s meaning. Many medieval mystery plays include scenes that allow the audience to participate as a character in the story, such as members of a Palm Sunday crowd, or people in a town square. The most successful and highly praised contemporary productions of medieval theatre have worked to develop instances of close interaction between actor and audience, which allows the audience to become further invested in the story and live in the moment with the actors on stage.
Appeal for contemporary audiences
Contemporary audiences enjoy seeing works of medieval theatre performed today because of the individualized audience experience and interactive nature of the plays. Modern community theatre productions of medieval plays work to achieve the same sense of community oneness and unity that was a major factor of the medieval productions. Modern day audiences enjoy a sense of local pride stemming from joining together as a community to complete the production of a play cycle. Viewers today also enjoy the connection to history offered in the production of medieval mysteries and the traditional religious stories.
Appeal for contemporary theatre makers
Modern day directors and producers have interest in staging medieval theatre for both its historical importance and the opportunity for a unique theatrical production. Actually, few modern productions are performed for religious reasons. For directors, discovering and staging medieval drama satisfies their dramatic interest because it allows them to create an immersive and distinctive play with their own interpretation. These plays are especially attractive to contemporary directors who wish to challenge the fixed staging traditions of present day theatre. It allows them to break away from the traditional seated theatre staging and explore the way an audience can be included in the universe of the play. Modern day directors also use medieval mystery plays as a framework allowing them to interpret and come across contemporary resonances. These parallels drawn between the world of medieval England and contemporary society further assist the audience in relating to the play.
Influence on contemporary theatrical staging
Although the staging of medieval theatre is very different from the way theatre is thought of today, there are many common traits of medieval cycle play staging that have been adopted by directors as techniques in modern day theatre making. Theatrical productions in the present day often adopt a style that stems from the medieval rejection of a strict fourth wall separating the world on stage from the audience. Works of theatre in the modern era that are seen as new and innovative often incorporate the audience into the universe of the play, and allow the actors on stage even to speak to them directly, much like medieval plays staged on pageant wagons. This approach to theatre, where the audience is not simply watching but plays a part in the story, sparks a relationship with the audience that allows them to feel more personally involved and connected to the characters. Medieval cycle plays engaged the audience directly so there was no such thing as casual theatre going, and contemporary directors of medieval theatre work as well to integrate the audience into a role in the actual storytelling.

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