Picture: The Annunciation by He Qi Last Thurs, Fri & Sat Manchester Cathedral played host to an amazing event during this season of Lent: Everyman: A play with music. It was an evening of Medieval Mystery Plays by Theatre Exchange drama group. It was very poorly attended by the public when I went on Thursday to the opening performance and a bit chilly in the vast space but what unfolded was a creative, inspiring and very moving re-telling of the some of the Big Themes in the bible: creation, the fall, the visitation, the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion of Jesus. (The picture is the visit of an angel to Mary, Jesus' mum, to let her know she's going to birth Jesus.)
The play was done in old english from the medieval period but was understandable and obviously understood by the children, teens and adults who were onstage. The beautiful music was written and some played live by the composer Arthur Connett. The whole evening was uplifting, challenging, provocative (there were contemporary contextual themes about 'the war' and lamenting the loss of lives), political and enlivening. As a disciple of Jesus and a local church theologian I was thinking that this play by a mainly roman catholic group performed in an anglican cathedral was a powerful statement about the journey towards each other in Lent. It was a great space with light, sound and colour; what cathedrals are in part about for me. It was a great cycle of plays whose themes for today have much to share and speak about from the bible and our lives. I wish our congregation from Wythenshawe were there to share it. It was dramatic bible and life woven together. And the lamentation of the women has completely transformed by approach to the use of words in lament. The sounds and silence and musical laments were much more powerful than I have ever encountered in words. The word became flesh here in this Lent for me again. Thankyou to Theatre Exchange and Manchester Cathedral. Will you do it again? Hope so.
