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getting involved in the Eynsham Mysteries

For many people, one of the highlights of our village in the last ten years has been the community production of The Eynsham Mysteries in St Leonard's Church. The first production, in September 2000, took us from Creation to Nativity and was designed to celebrate the Millennium, but it was soon apparent that here was a tradition worth continuing in future years. In March 2006, The Mysteries focused on the Jesus narrative, with the Morris Men taking the part of his disciples.

From Now to November
And now the next eagerly awaited Eynsham Mysteries is coming soon! Well, 24-27 November 2010 to be exact - so not that soon - but now's the time to move into action and get things rolling. If you have taken part before, you will know what fun it was to work on such a creative challenge, and how many new friends you made along the way. If you've not yet got involved, here's a little bit more information to help you make up your mind.

From Past to Present
Inspired by the ancient tradition of medieval Biblical mystery plays, our aim is to produce a high quality local community production, which draws on a wide range of people and skills, to reflect the unique mix that we have in Eynsham today.

From Eve to Mary
After consultation at a preliminary meeting last June, it was agreed to focus on some of the women's stories in the Bible, starting from the creation of the world, and leading up to Jesus' birth. The play will be written, as with the previous two productions, by widely published local author, Nick Page, in a style that is sympathetic to the original style, but with a contemporary twist - and, of course, plenty of humour, too. This will be a production for adults and children to enjoy -both working on, and watching, together.

From Stage to Street
But this isn't just about a few performances at the end of November. We'd like to make it a real festival of arts, storytelling, drama and events - so that everyone can be involved in some way. A Festival Trail will bring the story to our streets, too, as with previous Advent and Easter Trails. Schools and shops and local businesses and individuals - all can be part of the Eynsham Mysteries experience.

From Actors to Administrators
We need you if you can: act, sing, dance, play an instrument, design, make, cook, sew, build, light, write, compose, video, take photos, operate sound, organise, publicise, sell, work well as part of a team - in fact, whatever you can do, we'll turn it to good use. We will need to set up a production group by the end of March, with additional groups for design and backstage following soon after. Workshops and auditions for actors and performers will get going after Easter, with light rehearsals in the summer, and more intense rehearsal from September to November.

From Here to Eternity
If you feel inspired to get involved in another memorable production of The Eynsham Mysteries, and would like to offer your talents - or, if you are part of a group, organisation, business or school that could contribute in some way, let me know, right away.

Claire Page, Director/Producer of The Eynsham Mysteries 2010
E-mail or phone 464 308.