Recent productions have seen the plays performed at York's Theatre Royal, around the city and, for the Millennium Mystery Plays, in York Minster itself. For 2012, the plays are returning to the Museum Gardens in York, allowing them to be staged with the dramatic ruins of St. Mary's Abbey as a backdrop. This is a return to the location used from the first production of the modern era in 1951 through to 1988 - but this year the area has been turned into a 1400-seat outdoor theatre with tiered, covered audience seating on three sides.
The team creating the Mystery Plays for 2012 include writer Mike Kenny, directors Damian Cruden and Paul Burbridge, designer Sean Cavanagh, costume designer Anna Gooch, sound designer Clement Rawling, and lighting designer Richard G. Jones. Kenny, Cruden and Jones previously collaborated on the acclaimed production of The Railway Children staged first at the National Railway Museum in York and then in the disused Eurostar terminal at Waterloo Station in London.
As it was for The Railway Children and has been for many previous York Mystery Play cycles, entertainment lighting specialist White Light was chosen to supply the additional lighting equipment required by this year's Mystery Plays, complementing the equipment sourced from York's theatres.
White Light's contribution included 11 Martin MacIII Performance high-output framing spotlights, three Lycian 2kW followspots, two ETC Sensor 72-way touring dimmer racks and all of the associated mains distribution to get the entire rig up and running. Though the seating provides some cover for the audience (and lighting rig), the performance takes place in the open air and the show's organisers are determined that weather will not force the cancellation of any performances, hence the choice of rugged, reliable lighting fixtures.
(Jim Evans)
