Article Review: “Performing Communities: Civic Religious Drama” by John McGavin from The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Literature in English

The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Literature in English is located in the Whitworth Library: PR 255.095.

McGavin opens his discussion of Medieval Drama with an anecdote about a contemporary performance of a medieval Passion Play in Winchester. He argues that, although not “purely medieval,” the Winchester Passion Play was medieval in “matching its scope to the capacity of the providers and the occasion; its mixed clerical and lay involvement; its processional form; its blending of biblical and imagined discourse, stylized and naturalistic acting, historical and contemporary reference, received and innovative iconography” (201). By using a contemporary example, McGavin creates the space to argue that medieval drama was, in fact, radical.

The article is informative and well-researched, but most importantly, it offers excellent context for our discussions of the N-Town Plays. While McGavin does not give a thorough treatment of the N-Town Plays, he does connect the cycle to the medieval “project” of localization and adaptation of drama to communities (pages 202-203). I hope to utilize this perspective in my paper.

The four sections of the article are: one, “Performing the Medieval” (discussed above); two, “The Show Must Go On”; three, “The Shared Experience”; and four, “Spectatorship.” The fourth section, “Spectatorship” provides an excellent insight into the medieval audience member—what the medieval spectator would expect and how they would respond to certain performances. If you choose to consult this article, this section is perhaps the most worthwhile.

McGavin, John J. "Performing Communities: Civic Religious Drama." Ed. Elaine M. Treharne and Greg Walker. The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Literature in English. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. 200-18. Print.