Last year we toured one of our most popular shows The Cardinals to North America. As the show hit Toronto I was bowled over by a talk given by Dr. Matt Sergi. Matt is an expert in Mediaeval English Drama and he was talking about our show in the context of the religious mystery plays staged on the streets of York about five hundred years ago. So illuminating was the talk that we asked him to convert the talk into an essay, which he did.

When we got onto the usual awkward issue of payment and it descended into a familiar row, us trying to force money onto him and him refusing to take it. Once we’d patched things up it transpired that Matt’s theatre company PLS was planning to bring two of its shows to the UK, so we’ve invited them to come and perform @ A E Harris as our guests and we’re delighted that they’ve accepted.

So, we are proud to announce a mini-season of performances no less:

Mystery and Morality.

Stan’s Cafe, Birmingham, UK
The Cardinals c2011 7pm, 8th July. Admission £5 on the door (cash only) or tickets online via our shop.
Three Cardinals perform the history of the world, without words in their miniature puppet theatre mostly aided by their young female mulim stage manager.

SPECIAL GUESTS
PLS, Toronto, Canada
PLS specialise in giving audiences uproarious glimpse into the dynamic, scatological, often very funny world of English theatre as it was more than six hundred years ago. They translate original scripts into contemporary English and combine these with real medieval music, costume design and performance practices to show us hints of a culture that was, in some ways more liberated than our current one.

In a subversion of the original show’s anti-feminist themes both shows are performed by six non-male actors.

Both shows are family friendly, free of charge, relaxed performance.

Mankind c1464
Performed in the Courtyard @ A E Harris, 7:30pm 16th July
Mankind is very distractable and so Mercy and Mischief are striving for his attention, while a cheerful demon who creates human error is never far from the action. After this performance there will be a modest party to welcome PLS to Birmingham – everyone is welcome.

The Pride of Life c1300s
Performed in the Theatre @ A E Harris 7:30pm 17th July
The bombastic King Life believes he will live for ever despite the Queen’s urgent warnings that a rival King Death has recently landed in their realm.
Since only the first half of the original manuscript has been found the play’s inevitable mortal conclusion will be improvised each evening drawing on audience input.

Thanks to the generous support of Connaught Fund’s New Researcher Award and in line with Mediaeval practice no charge will be made for admission to either performance, but donations will be accepted.

Click here for directions to @ A E Harris 110, Northwood St. B3 1SZ

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