Medieval Blog Entry Ten



This is another way productions were set up in Medieval times



For my primary document I chose English Pageant Cars by Archdeacon Robert Rogers. He left a description of the pageant cars used in the Chester Whitsun plays.

Rogers describes them in old English. He describes them as having 2 “rowmes”. One higher and one lower, they were placed on four wheels. The lower one was used as a backstage to “apparel” themselves. The higher one was used to perform. It was raised so all could see and hear them. Rogers says “The places where they played them was in every streete.” So the cars were wheeled from place to place to perform in different locations around town.



This is one interpretation of a pageant car



According to Nagler in his book The Medieval Religious Stage the main source that we have to support the procession theory for the Chester Cycle is in David Rogers’ description. However, he wrote his history 34 years after the last performance in Chester, since we do not know how old he was when he wrote his history we cannot assume that he was an eyewitness as previously thought. His father is the same Robert Rogers mentioned above; so some believe that David got his information from his father, who would have been an eyewitness. Rogers listed five points within the city for performances: at the Abbey Gate, at the High Cross, in Watergate Street, Bridgegate Street, and Eastgate Street. Rogers also stated that the wagons followed each other smoothly without interruptions. (Nagler)

Nagler, A.M. The Medieval Religious Stage. New York, NY: Yale University, 1976. 55-56. Print.

Rogers, Robert . "English Pageant Cars ." A Source Book in Theatrical History. Comp. A.M. Nagler. New York: Dover
           Publications, 1952. Print.

"Stage Design in the Middle Ages ." THR 100: Drama Appreciation. Web. 7 Dec 2010. http://www.uncg.edu/aas/itc/thr100/unit14/part2.html