1. Plot (synopsis)

"In the late 14th century a group of travelling actors arrives in a small northern English town. As they prepare to perform a morality play, they learn of a murder in the town. They decide to make a play out of the murder as a way of increasing their revenue. However, as they seek out the details, they discover that the truth about the murder has yet to be revealed. And in performing their new play about a death, they participate in a birth - that of modern drama." (quoted from the cover)

Film Version

Meanwhile the novel was made into a film under the direction of Paul McGuigan (I) (UK 2001). The title of this film version is THE RECKONING

Cast overview:
Paul Bettany . . . Nicholas
Willem Dafoe . . . Martin
Simon McBurney . . .Stephen
Gina McKee . . . Sarah
Brian Cox . . . Tobias
Tom Hardy (I) . . . Straw
Stuart Wells . . . Springer
Matthew MacFadyen . . . King's Justice
Luke de Woolfson . . . Daniel
Mark Benton . . . Sheriff
Tom Georgeson . . . Jack Flint
Hamish McColl . . . Innkeeper
Ewen Bremner . . . Simon Damiam
Teresa Berganza . . . Thomas Wells' father

Barry Unsworth, Morality Play

1. Plot (synopsis)