Prop-making Workshop

Prop-making Workshop at Bergh Apton Village Hall, 2nd May.

The Props-Maker’s Part in the Mystery Play

The command came: Create a plague
to vex the Pharaoh and all his people.
Take a white linen sheet, three span by two,
ink from the brown-black oozings of silos,
card for pattern-making, razors for cutting,
rollers for inking, and now … begin!

And we, in the props-maker’s guild,
did as we were bid.

Draw all manner of mini-beasts on card,
midges, mosquitoes, scorpions, wasps and flying ants,
Cut round, and ink the patterns silo-black,
spread out the sheet and print their throbbing bodies,
fluttering wings, buzzing heads, till the whole white
world teems with frenetic insect life.

And we, in the props-maker’s guild,
did as we were bid.

Now shake the sheet, and the creatures flew up
in fury at the Pharaoh and all his people
with such a susurration and a flapping,
as never was heard, and they bit and they stung
till this folk were covered from toe to top
with bumps and lumps, and lesions and scab,
and they were sore, very sore vexed!

And we, in the props-maker’s guild, can say with pride,
We played our mysterious part, and did as we were bid!

Brenda Smith at Bergh Apton, 2nd May 2014