Pageant Wagon - Pageant Wagons in Practice

Pageant Wagons in Practice

When a processional cycle play came to town the whole city was used as a massive auditorium as the wagons were moved through the main streets of the city. The wagons would stop at key locations where the scene of each wagon would then begin. For instance the starting wagon would take up a position before the mayor’s house and perform the first scene. When the scene ended, the wagon would move on the next appointed spot and repeat the performance. Meanwhile, all along the predetermined route other wagons with their many varied scenes would follow in procession, each playing over and over its part in the slowly unfolding cycle. It was a chain theatre. It is said that the bigger wagons can be likened the elaborate floats in the New Orleans Mardi Gras Parade.

When in the country, the wagons were lined up in stationary ranks and the audience moved from one to another to follow the cycle. The performers did not limit themselves to the small playing space of the wagon settings but spread out freely onto the surrounding ground.

Each wagon contained a setting and carried the actors to different scenes. As the actors moved, the members of the audience moved with them. In some cases simultaneous action occurred on a number of levels of wagon platforms. This offered the spectators a spectacle quite like that of a modern day three-ring circus. If a town had a large enough field nearby the wagons were sometimes set all in one spot as to minimize movement. No mode of theatre in the history of drama has ever occupied more territory.

The Archdeacon Roberts is also quoted in the movement of the carts throughout the towns;

"They begane first at the abay gates, and when the firste paginate was played it was wheeled to the highe crosse before the mayor, and so to every streete; and soe every streete had a pagiant playinge before them at one time, till all the pagiantes for the daye appointed weare played: and when one pagiant was neere ended, worde was broughte from streete to streete, and soe they mighte come in place thereof excedinge orderlye, and all the streetes have theire pagiantes afore them all at one time playeinge together; to se which playes was greate resorte, and also scafoldes and stages made in the streetes in those places where they determined to playe thire pagiantes."

As the productions regarding these plays grew towns all over Europe began to adapt and create productions of their own. The Europeans thoroughly enjoyed the elaborate spectacle and each year they outdid themselves in the creation of such productions. It reached such a point that entire towns were in on the creation of these dramas and specific guilds were created to devote themselves to the undertaking of the pageant construction. If performed today, this spectacle would tax the resources of any large country town. It would deplete most of the stock of a local lumber yard, hardware store and dry goods outlet. It would also require all the available blacksmiths and carpenters to devote an entire month to the creation of the carts.