60 years a shepherd: 82-year-old Les Woodley in Aldermaston’s 67th York Mystery
Eighty-two-year-old Les Woodley certainly knows the words to Aldermaston’s York Nativity – he has just played Third Shepherd for the 60th year. The mystery play has been performed in the parish church of St Mary the Virgin since 1957. He joined his father Charlie as a shepherd in 1963 and played alongside him until 1986. His brother Barry joined him as a shepherd in 2005 and they have played together ever since. His sister Jenny played the 2nd maid for many years, the part which Jenny’s daughter, Les’ niece Melony plays to this day. Another niece, Kerry, plays the part of Anna. And several of the Woodley family have played acolytes when boys.
Les says: “Christmas hasn’t begun in Aldermaston till we have performed the Play!”
Pictures by Phil Cannings
This was the 67th year of Aldermaston’s York Nativity Play by E Martin-Browne, from the XIV Century York Mystery Cycle at the 12th-century parish church of St Mary the Virgin – designated one of the Church of England’s 100 National Treasures.
The ancient Grade I-listed church, with its warm acoustic and medieval origins, embraces the costumes, music and spoken word to make the play a very special event and a moving preparation for Christmas.
More than 300 people have been involved over the years as cast, choir, crew and other roles. It has become a family tradition for some, like the Woodleys, who have had three generations in the play and several other families have had two generations.
But there are the newcomers too – this year saw Gariella Dance take on the role of Mary and Jim Morrin.
Even after being performed for 67 years, this classic story of the first Christmas as told in medieval times is kept fresh through the introduction of new people taking part and contributing their individual talents and insights to the production.
This year audiences of around 80 to 150 have filled the pews each night over four performances.
The church plays its part in the success of the play too with its single hall with a high wooden barrel ceiling and a beautiful acoustic. It was started in around 1150 and expanded throughout the medieval period.
It also has some medieval wall paintings, post reformation wall paintings, Edwardian wall-paintings covering a considerable part of the church and it has a 500-year-old alabaster tomb.
The bell ringing chamber above the west entrance porch opens into the church and provides an ideal space for an a capella choir to sing over the heads of the audience.
The play takes us back to simpler historic times through language, music, costume and place.
Set not on the pageant wagons, as in the streets of York, but in the atmospheric church, some see it as theatre, others a religious reenactment. It is performed “by everyday folk and is for everyone”.
It was in 1957 when Pat Eastop and the Rev Stanley Young, then vicar of Aldermaston, decided the village needed a Nativity Play.
She found the script and designed the play to suit Aldermaston and went on to direct it for a remarkable 57 years until her death, taking it from a one-off to a local tradition.
It remains the play she created and in her memory a lantern is lit during every performance over her grave.
A veteran of 20 years, self-described “newbie” Dave Shirt, who plays Simeon, said: “Simeon has some of the best lines in the Play and I was honoured to speak some of my words at Pat’s funeral.”
Although he had no previous experience in acting, he was pleased to be asked to join the cast as soon as he retired and found himself very comfortable as part of the community venture.
Aldermaston York Nativity is currently directed by Chris Boott who has been in Aldermaston for 30 years and sang in the choir for 20 of these.
He was involved in amateur theatrics since he was 11, starting the Aldermaston Players in 1996.
Now over for this year, Christmas has truly begun.
Rehearsals will start again in late October for the cast returning to the play, earlier for newcomers.
TRISH LEE
