Medieval Theatre

Theatre in the Middle Ages was an important source of entertainment and education. Bands of travelling entertainers toured the lands following the collapse of the Roman Empire. The Church was also influential in the development of medieval theatre, dramatizing Biblical stories with religious zeal. This guide provides an overview of the genres of drama in the Middle Ages, its development, and the difficulties we have today in accessing original sources of material.

Terminology

Drama and Performance:

• Miracle Plays: Re-enactments of the life, miracles, and/or martyrdom of a saint.
• Morality Plays: Medieval plays that pit virtue against vice, usually following the story arc of the temptation, fall and redemption of the protagonist.
• Mummers Plays: Folk plays acted out by local troupes of actors, remaining popular and evolving after the Middle Ages.
• Mystery Plays: Medieval plays centered around Biblical stories and usually performed in churches.

Technology:

• Plateau: The neutral acting area of the stage in medieval theatre.
• Mansion: A scenic device used in medieval theatrical staging. Individual mansions represented different locales in biblical stories and actors moved between them.

Key dates & Events

• c.1151 - Hildegard von Bingen wrote Ordo Virtutum.