A Slice of History: Performing with passion in late medieval York
Bedern Hall, York, YO1 7AL
Friday 27th February 2026
We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Jeremy Goldberg to Bedern Hall for a fascinating talk on York’s medieval mystery plays. A cultural and social historian of later medieval England, Dr. Goldberg taught at the University of York for 35 years and has published widely on everyday life in the Middle Ages, from work and family to drama and community. He is now an emeritus reader and, intriguingly, is currently writing a cultural history of medieval cows.
In this talk, Jeremy explores the origins and development of York’s famous street drama, created in the late 14th century to bring the story of the Passion to life. He will look at who performed the plays, how they evolved over the following century and a half, and how York’s tradition fits into a wider landscape of performance across northern England and Western Europe. Approaching the mystery plays through the lens of cultural history rather than theatre studies, this promises to be a rich and engaging perspective on a defining part of York’s heritage.
In this talk, Jeremy explores the origins and development of York’s famous street drama, created in the late 14th century to bring the story of the Passion to life. He will look at who performed the plays, how they evolved over the following century and a half, and how York’s tradition fits into a wider landscape of performance across northern England and Western Europe. Approaching the mystery plays through the lens of cultural history rather than theatre studies, this promises to be a rich and engaging perspective on a defining part of York’s heritage.
