Hymenaei

a Masque of MarriageHymenaei: or The Solemnities of Masque, performed by Scena Mundi on the twenty-eighth day of July of the year two thousand and eighteen; at Magdalen College, Cambridge: to the auspicious celebrating of the marriage-vnion, betweene Susana & Stephen.

Masque. A form of dramaticentertainment, popular among thenobility in XVIth & XVIIth centuryEngland, which consisted of acting& singing performed by maskedplayers – among whom some ofthe guests - & ending on aceremonial dance. The theme ofthe drama presented during amasque was usually mythological,allegorical, or symbolic and wasdesigned to be adapted to theoccasion & complimentary to thenoble or royal host of the socialgathering.

As friends of Susana & Stephen, Scena Mundi are veryhappy to offer them this Masque of Marriage on theoccasion of their wedding.

Pip Brignall – Iris / First Chess Player Jack Christie - Prospero

Cecilia Dorland – Philostrate / JunoMartin Prest – King

Darren Royston – Ceres / Second Chess Player

DEVISED & PERFORMED BY:

Our masque is composed ofextracts from two plays byShakespeare, A MidsummerNight’s Dream and The Tempest.Its title is adapted from BenJonson’s Hymamaei, or theMasque of Hymen. It stages theblessing of a couple by thegoddesses Juno (Marriage; thepeacock is one of her attributes),Ceres (Harvest) and Iris (theRainbow, messenger of the gods).The masque comprises a dance, inwhich the audience are invited totake part.

Hymenaeia Masque of Marriage

Adaptation & direction: Cecilia DorlandChoreography & Movement: Darren Royston

Pip Brignall, Jack Christie & Martin Prest are associate members of Scena MundiTheatre of which Cecilia Dorland is Artistic Director. Darren Royston is a DancingMaster & choreographer and the Artistic Director of Nonsuch History & Dance. Wewould be delighted to tell you more about our work, so come and talk to us.