Blockley Mystery Plays

“This triumphant new version of the medieval Coventry Mystery Plays was as professional as any amateur production can be, ensuring that Blockley left the old Millennium in spectacular fashion.” Wiltshire & Gloucestershire Standard, 1999

“….a wonderful production which is really worth seeing.” The Cotswold Journal, 2004

Medieval mystery plays began to be performed in the 1200’s and were performed outdoors. The plays were written in verse and taught Christian doctrine by presenting biblical characters as if they lived in medieval times. The plays were performed by local amateur casts recruited from the trade guilds and were often rich with comedy.

On Dec 28th, 29th and 30th, 1999, the North Cotswold village of Blockley celebrated the turn of the millennium by presenting a production of the New Testament section of the Coventry Mystery Plays.

A cast and crew of fifty local amateurs laboured for over a year, raising finance, making costumes, building sets and transforming the local parish church into a theatre in order to present the plays for just three performances.

In 2004 the community repeated the trick with an outdoor performance of the Old Testament.

This website is a record of what they did and how and why they did it.