Liturgical drama or
religious drama, in its various Christian contexts, originates from the
Mass itself, and usually presents a relatively complex ritual that includes
theatrical elements. Until the
Late Middle Ages it is the best recorded tradition of religious drama, and is assumed to have been the root from which other forms such as the civic
mystery plays, as well as poorly recorded travelling companies, grew. The number of surviving scripts is small, and many performances are only known about from entries in payment records and the like.