It is clear that this folkloric dramatic genre has not been able to remain as it is from its origins to the present day. There has therefore been a necessary evolution, which can be seen, first of all, in the themes chosen to be performed. Although the dates of the librettos do not confirm this, we must also bear in mind that they are often copies of other, earlier manuscripts, and that the themes reincorporate the repertoire at different times. Txomin Peillen (Euskera, 1981) suggests four basic milestones in this respect: the works corresponding to the biblical and hagiographic cycles (16th and 17th centuries), those from the dissemination of "colportage" books, mainly adventure novels or "romans" (17th and 18th centuries), the themes of French history (19th century) and, finally, the representations of this century ("sujets" or Basque themes).
Beñat Oihartzabal, focusing more on the forms of representation than on the themes and based on his study of the pastoral Charlemagne (Anuario del Seminario Julio de Urquijo, 1988 ff.), proposes the end of the eighteenth century as the period in which dramatic play began to establish itself and become codified. It was no longer a matter of simply representing a story, but of applying it to a specific theatrical form, responding to a more or less long tradition. Thus, little by little, certain elements (first the battles, then the dance and the role of the satans, etc.) become necessary and form the framework of the traditional pastoral code.
A single theatre or stage was also used, on which all the dramatic places required by the story were performed. Later, the horses were no longer used for the arrival of the actors and the audience moved to the front part of the theatre, which was then closed and the stage took on the appearance it has today. Later, the duration of the was shortened and after the Second World War it did not generally last more than three or four hours. Other modern novelties include the division of the pastoral into scenes ("jelkhaldiak"), the presence of the flock of sheep even though they have nothing to do with the theme, the appearance of the "trap" or hole through which the satans "send the dead Turks to hell", the songs of various kinds that punctuate the performance and the printing of the play's libretto to make it easier for the audience to follow. Finally, it is worth noting the change that has taken place in the figure of the author.
Since the middle of the century, writers have emerged who write the text to be performed under the direction of another "errejent" or stage director. The "koblakari" and "pastoralier" Pierre Bordazaharre "Etxahun" was the pioneer of the modernisation and use of Basque themes - Etxahun, Matalaz, Bereterretx, Santxo Azkarra, Count Treville, Txikito de Kanbo - in the pastoral. He has been followed by Junes Casenave, Jean Louis Davant and others such as Battita Urruty.