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The 'nativity' play at the National Theatre is one part of a 'cycle' of three - a re-run of 'The Mysteries', first done for the 1951 Festival of Britain. I haven't seen the production (either then or now) but it has had rave reviews and is worth seeing all or some of the parts. I don't know of an extant text but there must be one and the theatre shop would have it. As to reading - how much time has your colleague got and what does she know about medieval drama and cycle plays??? I'd recommend for starters Richard Beadle's Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Theatre (it has a good bibliography to c1992), followed by Martin Stevens Four English Mystery Cycles. To get an idea of the text, the York Mystery Plays: a selection in modern spelling, ed R Beadle and Pamela King (OUP World's Classics). Then whatever she wants to follow up. -- -- Penny Granger 23 Chesterton Towers Cambridge CB4 1DZ 01223 354961 [log in to unmask] homepage: http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/rcd95/penny/ %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%