Miracle plays started around the same time as mystery plays. However, miracle plays didn't strictly deal with Biblical stories. It was common for them to deal with the life and events of saints. These events may be real or fictional.
The saints in these plays were often either St. Mary, St. NIcholas, or St. George. The general plot of a play will invovle a character invoking the saint. The saint will them play the role of deus ex machina and save the character. Both Mary and Nicholas had cults during the middle ages. There was a widespread belief of the healing power of saintly relics, so miracle plays grew in popularity.
These stories may be inserted into the Biblical stories of mystery plays. This is why the terms were often interchanged. However, another element of miracle plays that was not as common in mystery plays (though it was sometiems seen) was the insiertion of comedic elements. Sometimes a comedic side plot was even inserted.
Miracle plays are not popular like mystery plays are today. Not as many people believe in the healing power of relics or other stories of saints. However, sometimes they are still performed.
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