Bigly Bliss

As mentioned in the last blog post, we're creating a Trump like characterisation for the eponymous character of the Duke Moraud in the lost play.  So, as we've brought the Donald up, it's a good opportunity to talk about the word bigly.
Trump came under a lot of flack for possibly saying bigly during his campaigning to be President.  "I'm going to cut taxes bigly..." etc.  Lots of people pointed out that the word did exist and has many meanings accrued over time - but this is a blog about early drama, so let's have a little look at bigly.
I've come across it a fair number of times whilst working on mystery plays, so I did a quick look through my files and quickly came up with these examples.  I suspect it was used more times than this - variant spellings will throw searching for words in a database and I don't have a complete collection of work on my computer - but here are a few random examples of the use of the word bigly in early drama.  It's almost always used when referencing heaven, specifically the bliss of living in heaven.  God talks about building a heaven of bigly bliss in Chester...

God:

A biglie bliss here will I build, a heaven without ending... (Chester 1)

And in the York cycle, a bad angel who falls in with Lucifer mentions that he's in bigly bliss...

Angel Deficiens: 

So bygly to bliss am I brought... (York 1)

And Adam and Eve refer to the bliss of heaven after being cast out...

Adam: 

Alas, wretches, what have we wrought?

To byggly bliss we both were brought...

And later...

Eve:

We are full well worthy iwis

To have this mischief for our mys,

For brought we were to byggely bliss,

Ever in to be.  (York 6)

And at the other end of time, the Angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that God will bring her to heaven soon...

Gabriel:

And therefore he bids thee look that thou blithe be,

For to that bigly bliss that berde will thee bring... (York 44)

So, bigly - something that is more than just big, but is biglier than big - is a perfectly legitimate word for a President of the United States of America to use.  

Except that he didn't use it in the context of heaven or used as a prefix to bliss, so we can probably safely assume that Trump wasn't quoting the word in reference to it's late medieval usage.  Oh well.

Milk Bottle Productions Presents...

The Summoning of Everyman

Adapted and performed by Robert Crighton 
With Simon Nader in bonus play - Duke Moraud

Everyman has been summoned by Death to meet his maker - and he doesn't want to go.  This interactive performance brings his struggle directly to the audience, asking them to become part of the story, to stand in the footsteps of Fellowship, Good Deeds and even Death himself.  Will you help Everyman make his peace?

Previous audiences have said of the show:  “A one man tour de force... gripped from start to finish... a mix of pathos and humour all done with a light touch... a real privilege and honour being there... having volunteered, with no acting experience whatsoever, was guided expertly throughout by Robert... an hour very well spent...  I’ve come to see it again!  What more do I need to say?  In awe of the intensity!”

[The show was presented at The Bread and Roses Theatre on Tuesday 8th to Saturday 12th August 2017]