The Christmas Play

Just because there is no Thanksgiving holiday or "Black Friday" doesn't mean that England is not getting into the Christmas spirit. Stores in the city centre are decorated and packed with shoppers. Christmas markets are popping up in many towns. A Christmas market usually consists of stalls set up in a town square where vendors are selling special seasonal items. Nottingham's is quite small, but other cities have very large Christmas markets.

Some preparations are not commercial. Some friends told us about a church in the village of Bramcote, between Nottingham and Derby (pronounced "DAWH-beh"), that was reviving the tradition of the Medieval mystery play to put on an old style Christmas pageant.

Real Medieval period instruments played among the old stones in the church  yard.

We went on Sunday morning, and found ourselves in the church, mingling with characters dressed as peasants from several centuries ago. When the music of period instruments began, the players began singing, and we followed them into the church yard.

God (in red robe on roof), the star (on steps beside church), and Joseph & Mary (center)

There, among the ancient stones of the parish cemetery, we heard the peasants banter, in rhyming couplets, with a "Roman" soldier dressed in chainmail with a broadsword on his belt. They were complaining about the tax census declared by Emperor Augustus.

We followed the star to the beer garden behind the local pub (really!).

Suddenly, God appeared on the church roof, announcing the coming of a messiah and commanding all to follow a star, which had just arrived from around the corner. A carpenter named Joseph and his very pregnant bride emerged from among the crowd and had a few lines.

Flower petals are shaken down over dancers behind the pub.

When the musicians began again, we followed the star out of the church yard, down the street, around the corner, and into the beer garden behind the local pub. There we were welcomed to a wedding party and offered biscuits (cookies) and crisps (crackers). We also heard from the pub landlord that there was no room at the inn, but could follow the star to a nearby stable.

Following the star through park and pasture.

We took the long way to the stable, through a city park. Local police stopped traffic for about 120 people to cross the street. In the park, gathered around a real fire, we met some very comical shepherds and the most clever, life-sized sheep puppet we've ever seen!

The puppeteer has his head turned away. The actor is NOT wearing a pointed hat, that's the church spire behind him.

A winged angel appeared out of the bushes (obviously chosen for his ability to walk on stilts, and not for his talent at delivering lines). We were again told to follow the star, the band struck up, and the shepherds led the way through a fence, into a horse pasture (with real horses and real horse droppings, so we had to watch our step).

Angel on stilts gets our attention.

We eventually arrived at the ruins of a Norman church tower, which turned out to be the stable in question. There were Mary and Joseph, along with a baby. Three well-dressed star gazers showed up bearing gifts, then God and the angel made return appearances, and there was a big musical number for the grand finale.

The grand finale with God, angel, shepherds, magi, and baby.

We were a little chilly after a bit more than an hour outside on a breezy, 45 degree (Fahrenheit, 8 Celsius) morning, but it was well worth it to step back in time to the Middle Ages.