Oxford Medieval Mystery Plays: medieval drama to a modern-day audience

The Medieval Mystery Plays are held regularly at St Edmund Hall.

These plays were a very popular form of drama in the Middle Ages – with different groups performing short plays telling stories from the Bible. To take part in the next performance, email Professor Henrike Lähnemann, Fellow of St Edmund Hall and Professor of Medieval German Literature and Linguistics, and Professor Lesley Smith, Fellow and Tutor in Politics and Senior Tutor at Harris Manchester College, Co-Directors of the Oxford Medieval Studies Programme at TORCH, using the address: medieval@torch.ox.ac.uk.

Next performance: Saturday 26 April 2025, 12 noon–5pm

Provisional programme

Noon to 1:30pm: the Old Testament
The first section of the play cycle will feature well-known Old Testament stories. Featuring the German Hans Sachs version of Adam and Eve alongside other narratives of the Creation, the Flood, and Abraham, this portion brings together Medieval Germanists, a group from St. Anne’s College and St. Giles Church, and several Oxford University Dramatic Society students to create a riveting whistle-stop tour of the Old Testament.

2pm onwards: the New Testament
The second portion of the plays will feature large moments from the life of Jesus, including the Annunciation, the Nativity, and the world premiere of the Wedding at Cana, an original play by Phillip Quinn and Elliott Clark based on the 1.5 extant lines from the York Cycle. Starting at 4pm, we will show the Digby Mary Magdalene, and the Resurrection will be rung in thanks in part to the St Edmund Hall Choir. Our Last Judgement will close the plays.