A Medieval Miracle is Ivor Cutting’s Swansong

Posted on 14th April 2023

Eastern Angles’ tale of mischief, devils and song is Ivan Cutting’s final production as Artistic Director of a company he founded forty years ago. It is as ambitious and bold as we have come to expect from him, and something of a labour of love.

The N.Town cycle of medieval plays have been described as the jewel in the crown of East Anglian theatre, and go some way to filling the literary void between Chaucer and Shakespeare. Medieval Miracles presented two of the plays, remodelled for a contemporary audience. Both benefitted from an excellent ensemble cast, with acting honours distributed equally. The Trials of Mary and Joseph featured Lily Beck and Christian Graham as the eponymous couple, while Tom Blake and Ariota Visoka provided support with the help of various hats. Cutting’s unobtrusive updating of the text provided the occasional smile, but otherwise kept the spirit of the source material intact. Added to the mix were a judicious use of puppetry and the showcasing of fine singing voices, all of which contributed to an engaging and surprisingly moving retelling of The Nativity.

Mankind underwent an altogether more dramatic overhaul, presented in modern dress, with a narrative that leaned away from God, and towards the secular concerns of climate change. Tom Blake and Ariota Visoka did most of the dramatic heavy lifting in this one, with the other cast members offering the broader caricatures of New Guise and Mischief. Broader, too, was the comedy, drawing belly laughs rather smiles from an appreciative audience. It was bolder, brasher and more complex than the simple story of Mary and Joseph – one can’t help but admire Cutting’s commitment in bringing such a challenging work to the stage. His abiding influence will, I am sure, be felt and missed.