Coronation Mystery Play by Dhoidreagh O’Seianmhe

Thanks to Luminarium

Title: Coronation Mystery Play 

Author: Dhoidreagh O’Seianmhe (really a young man called Bert Hobson)

Publisher: Not known 

Source book: What Did it Mean?  by Angela Thirkell (Barsetshire #23)

The Bishop held a competition to choose a play to be acted in the crypt of Barchester cathedral, as part of the celebrations of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II,  and this won.

The characters include Mr Lusty,  Mrs O’Gonnoreah the Bad One (an Irish woman), Pegeen the Prostitute, Mickeen the Murderer, Father Aloysius the Good One, and a mysterious stranger with a club-foot called Himself from Below. It is in modern dress, says Canon Joram, and at the end someone has their face clawed off by a bear, who typifies something-or-other. And the hero, if you can call him that, is a full-blooded African whose mother was a crocodile.

To be honest, this play sounds as though it would be perfectly ghastly. Totally unsuitable for an entertainment in a church, and not what one might choose to celebrate a coronation. Most luckily there were only 2 performances in the cathedral. “Them That Does Be After Entertaining of You All” in other words, the actors, were due to give the play in Manchester at the end of the week. And we can only feel for any Mancunians foolish enough to buy tickets.