The Old Miracle Plays of England

audiobook

The Old Miracle Plays of England

by Netta Syrett

EN·~2 hours·13 chapters

Chapters

13 total

PREFACE

1:45

THE OLD MIRACLE PLAYS OF ENGLAND - I INTRODUCTION

22:23

II How Colin and Margery kept the Feast of Corpus Christi

8:01

III The Creation of the Angels, and the Fall of Lucifer

15:44

IV The Making of Sun, Moon, and Stars: of Birds, Beasts, and Fishes: of Man and Woman. The Garden of Eden

11:45

V Noah’s Ark

13:43

VI The Story of Abraham and of Isaac

12:34

VII The Shepherds’ Play

13:02

VIII King Herod, the Wise Men, and the Massacre of the Innocents

16:51

IX At the End of the Day

10:03

Description

This lively work invites listeners into the world of medieval miracle plays by weaving scholarly detail into a charming narrative. Set against the bustling streets of historic York, the author uses a story‑like format to bring ancient stagecraft, costumes, and church‑based performances to life, making the distant past feel immediate and vivid. Along the way, readers meet monks, soldiers, and townsfolk whose colorful attire and enthusiastic crowds echo the spectacle of early English theatre.

Beyond the entertaining tale, the book offers clear explanations of how these religious dramas emerged after the Norman Conquest and why churches served as the first stages. It balances factual insight with imaginative reconstruction, allowing both young listeners and adult students to grasp the cultural significance of the plays without wading through dense academic prose. The result is an accessible, engaging portrait of a forgotten theatrical tradition that still resonates with anyone who loves storytelling.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~2 hours (147K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Original publisher

United Kingdom: A. R. Mowbray & Co., 1911.

Credits

MWS, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)

Release date

2021-07-17

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Netta Syrett

Netta Syrett

1865–1943

A prolific English novelist, playwright, and children’s writer, she became known for fiction that gave intelligent, independent women a central place in the story. Her work moved between late-Victorian and early-20th-century literary culture, and one of her novels later became the film A Woman Rebels.

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