John Constable

THE SOUTHWARK MYSTERIES, his epic cycle of contemporary Mystery Plays, was first performed in Shakespeare's Globe and Southwark Cathedral on Easter Sunday, 23rd April 2000. A new production, directed by Sarah Davey-Hull, was performed in Southwark Cathedral in April 2010 with a professional core cast and a hundred-strong community cast.

John's many plays include TULIP FUTURES and the stage adaptations of Mervyn Peake's GORMENGHAST and Paul Theroux’s THE MOSQUITO COAST. His radio adaptations of John Wyndham’s novels THE KRAKEN WAKES and CHOCKY were released in the BBC’s Classic Radio Sci-fi series. Solo shows include I WAS AN ALIEN SEX GOD, RAINGODS BECOME ME and SPARE, inspired by the artist and occultist Austin Osman Spare. He wrote and directed the ST GEORGE MUMMERS PLAY performed in Glastonbury Abbey for the 2022 Queens Platinum Jubilee.

SHA-MANIC PLAYS, GORMENGHAST, THE SOUTHWARK MYSTERIES and SECRET BANKSIDE – WALKS IN THE OUTLAW BOROUGH are all published by Oberon Books / Bloomsbury. SPARK IN THE DARK, a selection of his poems, is published by Thin Man Press. His poems and essays appear in anthologies and magazines including URBAN SHAMANISM (Outside Poets, with Aidan Dun, Niall McDevitt and David Amery), MU, International Times and Undefined Boundary.

In 2022 he published GRAIL, interweaving myth and legend with vignettes from contemporary life in his new home in Glastonbury.

As Artistic Director of SOUTHWARK MYSTERIES (2004-11), John pioneered unusual historical/literary walks and promenade performances around Borough and Bankside and in the City of London.  He wrote the libretto for SOUTH OF THE RIVER, a community opera commissioned by the ENO. In November 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by London South Bank University for services to the arts and community: 'for his vision and imagination, for his deep commitment to our local area, for his work in reclaiming lost histories and, above all, for his belief in the transformative power of writing and drama...'

In his John Crow persona, he created the monthly Cross Bones Vigils and the annual HALLOWEEN OF CROSSBONES site-specific performances, establishing a shrine and a Garden of Remembrance on the site of Cross Bones, the outcasts' burial ground in Southwark. He has given many talks on literature and magic, from the Latitude Festival to Breaking Convention and the Glastonbury Occult Conference.

Audio-recordings include: THE SOUTHWARK MYSTERIES, GOOSE & CROW: SPIRIT SONGS, and the 2022 album ANCESTOR SOULS (John Crow and Queen Space Baroque)
https://johncrowandqueenspacebaroque.bandcamp.com/releases

For more on John Constable's work: crossbones.org.uk