‘Into the Archives’ – Document of the Month – January 2025

This month’s ‘Into the Archives’ article features a poster from 1912 advertising a production at the Bingham Hall.

In 1912 the Christmas spirit continued passed Twelfth Night with a mid-January production of the mystery play “Eager Heart” at the Bingham Hall. An article in the Wilts and Glos Standard reported that the play was “given and received with the reverence which is its due, the production was a strikingly beautiful and impressive one.”

The article discussed a revival of mystery plays over the previous decade and “Eager Heart” was a part of this trend. The play was based around a legend of the Christ Child making progress through the land every Christmas Eve. People prepared their homes in case he should choose their abode to take refuge. One such person was Eager Heart who agreed to take in a strange couple and their new born baby. She was saddened as it meant her home was now full. Following interactions with the shepherds and the wise men, the strangers that Eager Heart gave refuge to were revealed to be the Holy family.

The production ran for two nights. Good attendance was reported on the first night but overall audience numbers were impacted by heavy snowfall. The snow began on the morning of the opening night and continued without a noticeable break for over 30 hours, resulting in a covering of between 9 and 12 inches deep across much of the Cirencester district.