
audiobook
A MYSTERY PLAY
PREFACE
SCENE I
SCENE II
SCENE III
SCENE IV
SCENE V
APPENDICES
This modest mystery play offers a reverent, sing‑filled retelling of the Nativity, structured as a series of short scenes that move from a quiet road outside Bethlehem to the humble stable where the infant Christ is laid. First performed by the girls of a convent school, the production relies on simple costumes, modest wooden props and unadorned scenery, letting the words and carols carry the drama. The opening chorus sets a tranquil tone, inviting listeners to pause and hear the ancient story told in clear, lyrical language.
The piece weaves together familiar figures—Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and a few merchants—through brief dialogues and gently rising harmonies that echo traditional Christmas carols. Stage directions are noted but unobtrusive, allowing the listener to picture a slow, deliberate simplicity rather than realistic spectacle. Ideal for a quiet holiday gathering, the play balances devotional reverence with a warm, communal spirit, making the first act a soothing entry into the timeless celebration of Christ’s birth.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (73K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Paul Marshall, Tim Lindell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2020-03-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1871–1914
An English priest and novelist who moved from the Church of England to Roman Catholicism, he brought spiritual urgency and a storyteller’s pace to his fiction. Best known today for Lord of the World, he wrote with a mix of conviction, imagination, and dramatic tension that still feels strikingly modern.
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