The News from the World

words & music by Ed Lambert

after the English Medieval Mystery Plays

The Creation of Man

(the chimes of Big Ben are heard)

NEWSCASTER

The news headlines. In a momentous day for the universe, it has just been announced that God has created the world. So we are going straight over to (R) who is with God’s Angels to find out more.

REPORTER

Yes, N, the world is now in place. And a beautiful piece of work it is too, if I may say so. The latest we have is that God’s next project is to create creatures called human beings - whatever they are. Angels, can you enlighten us?

ANGELS

To keep this world both good and great

a special being God will create

to be like him - a sort of mate -

and worship him from dawn till late.

With superb brains and skill alone

Rise up, mankind, in blood and bone!

You all must love Him evermore.

He’s your God, His word is law!

(The Human Race rises from the ground)

HUMANS & ANGELS

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Power and might and glory yours!

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Light divine, come guide our ways!

Sing his praises, sing so all can hear!

By his hand were all things made

let us preserve what he holds dear -

so now light divine, come guide our ways!

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Power and might and glory yours!

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Guide our ways!

REPORTER

Well, there you have it live as it happened - the human race is now officially in existence.

But our information is that nothing is ever straightforward: I have with me here a gentleman called Lucifer..

LUCIFER

My gang and I are fallen angels,

we call ourselves devils.

We’re angry because this is our world

and humans must work for us.

REPORTER

So what action are you going to take?

DEVILS (aside)

Now for our revenge!

Humans have nothing much to do

so we’ll learn them a trick or two:

teach them knowledge, show them how

they can be godlike here and now.

Make them full of greed and envy

always wanting more than plenty

fighting wars between each other

all God’s secrets they’ll uncover..

ANGELS

God’s deeds were done now by his will:

but then he wished that Man could be

a creature which had all the skill

to live in peace and harmony...

HUMANS & ANGELS

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Power and might and glory yours!

DEVILS

All folk will bow to us...

We can make them crazy, make them sad,

We can make a person very, very bad...

ANGELS

By his hand were all things made

let us preserve what he holds dear -

so now light divine, come guide our ways!

Hail to the Lord!

DEVILS

We’ll rule the world!

ANGELS (hearing Lucifer)

O no you won’t! God rules the world!

DEVILS

O no you won’t! We rule the world! Yeah!

Hail to Lucifer! Ruler of Men! Hail to the Lord!

ALL (to their respective leaders)

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Power and might and glory yours!

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Guide our ways!

ANGELS

Wise shall you be, men that God has made from nothing,

lordship on earth He gives you:

but behave or else - He is not bluffing. (they leave)

Adam & Eve

NEWSCASTER

What’s the latest, (R)?

REPORTER 2

Just to bring you up to date, (N): humans seem perfectly happy at the moment, though they are rather in awe of their Creator. They may decide to let their hair down a bit, so to speak. Now this wouldn’t matter too much if Lucifer wasn’t planning a rival enterprise. But as it is, it could spell trouble. So to find out which way things might go, I have with me here some human beings, fresh from their ordeal of being made. Now, how do you feel about being the first people on earth?

A HUMAN

We enjoy life, but God is rather strict with us.

LUCIFER (entering)

Hallo!

HUMAN 2

Who are you?

LUCIFER

Just a friend; I’m here to help you.

HUMAN 3

Oh yeah?

LUCIFER

I’ve got a very special offer for you. But you’ll have to sign up in the next couple of minutes or I’m afraid you’ll lose your chance.

HUMAN 4

And what is this offer exactly?

LUCIFER

(letting them glimpse the contents of his sack)

Knowledge - as much as you want.

HUMAN 5

Don’t need that. God wouldn’t like it.

LUCIFER

What do you need God for? Don’t you see?

There’s more to life than survival!

Enjoy yourselves!

Do all the things that God can do.

Do them better, in fact.

HUMANS (to one another)

Against the rules...

Don’t know how, anyway...

Come on. Let’s give it a try!

No - you don’t know what’d happen...

Yeah! What have we got to lose?

God won’t mind too much.

We can always say we’re sorry

and he’s bound to forgive us.

We don’t know what we’ll find.

LUCIFER

Look here: all sorts of interesting things. It’s quite harmless - you’ve only got to take a look...

Besides, you’re human aren’t you?

If you feel you shouldn’t that’s all the more reason to try!

HUMANS

Well, I’m going to.

Yeah! So am I!

(Lucifer gets out a scroll and gives it to them)

A HUMAN

Come on, you lot. Look at this!

OTHERS (hesitating)

But ...

LUCIFER

Trust me! There’s more.

Be like Gods on earth:

rule over nature!

Achieve miracles of invention!

HUMAN

Well if you don’t - I do!

We shall be gods, me and you!

ANGELS (entering)
Don’t do it! Do what you’re told!

If you go out of line you’ll never get back!

(Lucifer & The Devils produce some more goods that represent knowledge - e.g. books, a clock, a globe, a calculator, a CD, and, finally, a device which looks rather like a giant TV remote control. There is a pause.)

LUCIFER & DEVILS

Go on - do it!

ANGELS

O no you don’t!

DEVILS

O yes you do!

ANGELS

No!

DEVILS

Yes!

ANGELS

No!

DEVILS

Yes!

REPORTER

Help!

HUMANS

Shall I? Shan’t I? I don’t know!

Perhaps we shouldn’t, but here we go!

(As they press the button the Humans are transformed into Empire Builders)

The Downfall of Man

EMPIRE BUILDERS

(building a Tower)

We’ve got so much real estate

and a skyline that astounds

our rivals - who’ll capitulate.

Truly our empire knows no bounds!

ANOTHER GROUP

Wanna bet? Taller yet

we’ll build a tower:

We’ll show you all, you’ll know

who’s got the power.

LUCIFER

Full marks!

What a world of profit and power they’ve created!

An empire stretching as far as mankind can imagine! Brilliant!

SECOND GROUP

Wait and see! You’ll surely find

Our tower will dominate

The city, and all humankind

Will very soon capitulate!

FIRST GROUP

Wanna bet? Taller yet

we’ll build a tower:

We’ll show you all, you’ll know

who’s got the power.

(Pandemonium; war breaks out, the towers are destroyed)

REPORTER

They may be pushing their luck, these Empire Builders. God will surely punish this arrogance. But we’ll be bringing you any developments - as they happen!

LUCIFER, DEVILS & CHEERLEADERS (laughing)

Reduced to nothing!

Destroyed themselves

and the world they lived in!

Hail Mankind, God’s chosen ones!

GOOD ANGEL

Lucifer - wickedness - you caused this affray;

God’s curse on you now

with all the might we can say.

Show these children the world of tomorrow

mourn with them in tears of sorrow.

CHILDREN (picking up the pieces)

Why did this happen?

Why did they sin?

All God’s creation

is now in the bin.

Soldiers are cool

and guns are firing.

There’s lots of wiring

when big brains rule.

We don’t understand

what happened to our land:

money’s made men bad

and life on earth sad.

They tell us lies -

say we’re all right;

but everything dies;

day turns to night

NEWSCASTER

Sounds pretty depressing...but

....can you hear me? We’re getting reports of a peculiar star - it seems there may be more to our story after all. Can you investigate please?

REPORTER

Sure, (N), I’m on my way.

(aside) Anything for a change!

The Nativity

SHEPHERDS

What is this light here

shining so bright here

that shadows are made?

Seeing this sight here

a man may take fright here:

we are afraid.

Frightened to stay now,

we would away now

if only we might.

We truthfully say now

it seems like day now

yet it is night.

On this light streaming

from a star beaming

we dare not gaze.

Are we just dreaming

of a great gleaming?

This will amaze!

(the Angels are heard singing ‘Glory’)

Where does that belong -

a singing along

as clear as a bell?

Up there is a throng

of angels in song

who wonders foretell!

(they exit following the star)

NEWSCASTER

Any further news on that star, (R)?

REPORTER 5

Well, (N). This could be the sign many people have been waiting for. There’s a young woman called Mary who, I believe, is about to pass this way. Apparently, she’s going to have a baby any minute now, and, amazingly, this baby is the focus of a new hope for mankind. What I’m not sure about... (enter Mary and Joseph) oh, here she is now, coming right towards me! Mary, I know you’re a little shy, but do tell us what happened.

MARY

An Angel came to see me and said my baby was very special.

REPORTER

A no-touch conception, I believe. And Joseph - tell us how you feel.

JOSEPH

I’m worried about finding somewhere to stay for the night.

INNKEEPER

I’m afraid you can’t stay here. We’re fully booked.

REPORTER

You mean you’re rejecting this poor woman?

INNKEEPER’s WIFE/HUSBAND

Poor thing!

INNKEEPER

This blooming star! All right then: what’s good enough for my precious animals is good enough for her. She can go in the stable.

MARY

That’ll do fine. (they leave)

NEWSCASTER

It doesn’t look promising, does it ...?,

REPORTER

No, it doesn’t (N). If this is the dawn of a new era you’d think it would be rather more glamorous!

ANGELS are heard singing ‘Glory’ and the Shepherds enter

SHEPHERDS

The star in the Heavens clear

shows us the place is near

where we’ll find a Saviour dear

just as the angels said.

REPORTER

So you’re following the star, too?

SHEPHERDS

For him we have no jewels or gold

we give him no rich gifts to hold

just ask that he’ll our lives enfold

we’ll go where he has led.

THREE KINGS (entering)

There is mother Mary mild

and the new-born holy child

in a manger for a bed.

REPORTER

Well, this really is something. The appearance of these Wise Men certainly confirms the importance of this humble event.

OTHERS (to Reporter)

Shhh!

REPORTER (continuing in a whisper)

And now everyone is paying homage to this little baby...

SHEPHERDS & KINGS, OTHERS WATCHING

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Power and might and glory yours!

Hail to you, Lord! King of the Gods,

Light divine, come guide our ways!

NEWSCASTER

So let me just get this straight for the benefit of those watching who might find it hard to understand...

(ALL)

Mary and Joseph were a happy pair

For many years they hadn’t a care

But then they were told that a baby was due:

Mary was astonished she hadn’t a clue!

The Angel said to Mary, ‘Now you keep well,

He’ll be the Son of Man and then people will tell

Of His wonderful teachings, his care for mankind.

Those who follow Him will be redeemed, they’ll find.’

‘Mary’s good and honest,’ Joseph thought,

‘I do believe she’d do all the things that she ought,

I’ll love the child dearly, (now what was it’s name?)

I guess that life will never be the same again.’

They went on a journey, they followed a star,

They set off together, they hadn’t gone far

When Oh! she felt it coming, she needed to stop

At an inn for soon the baby would certainly drop.

The place was full up, they were told ‘No fear

We’ll put you in the stables’. No midwife was near

But baby came quickly - of course, it was a boy -

of course, it was a baby boy!

They cuddled it and wept many tears of joy.

By now a crowd had gathered to see the happy sight

The stars above shone brightly in the night

All gazed on little Jesus (that was the child’s name)

And life on earth would never be the same again.

(to each other) Happy Christmas!

Happy New Millenium!

NEWSCASTER

It seems there’s nothing much to it, really.

Now for the forecast:

‘Things got off to a dull start

but have since brightened up considerably.

The outlook is: gloomy at times,

but mainly good and becoming more settled.’

Well, that’s a relief.

It’s certainly cheered me up, I must say.

REPORTER

Yes, (N), there’s a feeling of celebration in the air, here.

Those folk just believe in this baby.

It seems to give them hope and peace.

ALL

Great God and His baby Son

Forgive the wrongs that mankind has done!

Of His coming we go forth to tell;

Good people, for evermore, we wish you well!

We wish you well each & every friend.

This story will truly never come to an end,

Goodbye now, from two thousand years ago,

We hope you all have enjoyed our show...