REVIEW ­ MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL
by T S ELIOT

A rehearsed reading at St Peter's Cathedral, Balmoral Road, Lancaster Friday 4 November 2005 at 7.30pm

Lyrical, robust and home-grown drama enchantingly performed in a magnificent setting

Murder in the Cathedral is arguably the theatrical if not the poetic masterpiece of Thomas Stearns Eliot's (1888 - 1965). First produced in 1935 in (where else?) Canterbury Cathedral, a subsequent 1952 film version featured the playwright as the Fourth Knight/Fourth Tempter ­ off stage and only heard, not seen. (Has any of our readers a copy of this video ­ if so, please contact me.)

But it is not an easy or familiar piece, more 'radio play' or 'staged reading' than in-your-face live, raw theatre. And that's how this production's director, Professor Keith Hanley of the University of Lancaster's Department of English, saw it.

Rightly, too, but the play comes across to me as a difficult text ­ I find it too dense and over-layered with meaning, too much packed into too little. However, later playwrights have effectively used that the verse form more accessibly, such as Dylan Thomas (as in Under Milk Wood), Christopher Fry and, more recently, Tony Harrison.

The play only deals with a part of the much larger story of St Thomas Beckett, King Henry II and the turbulent barons of early Plantagenet England, well described in the intelligent programme notes by .Dr Andrew Jotischky, or the Third Temper). Or France, depending on which way you look at it. Either way, the text is replete with conflict that reminds me of Henry VIII's 'reformation'; church and state, king and chancellor, love loyalty and (possibly) lust, barons and bishops.

The choice of St Peter's (Catholic) Cathedral was inspired, to say the least. It is a fine building by anyone's standards (even Piloti in Private Eye would not disagree) and, like the best churches, well suited to liturgical drama.

Hanley chose to keep the action simple, yet he was not afraid to use the breadth and depth of the Cathedral to simple, best effect. Whilst most of the action took place on focal point of the sanctuary, the chaos in Canterbury was well depicted by the use of the centre aisle from the back of the building to the liturgical and dramatic centre. Well-judged, too, was the use of the antiphonal seating for the three Priests and the four Tempters, stage right and left respectively.

Gareth Webb was outstanding as the hero of the piece, Thomas. A former professional actor with Birmingham Rep and now a student at St Martin's College, he (not alone) overcame the flu to deliver a passionate and powerful performance.

Tatiana Smith (principal Chorus of the Women of Canterbury) had a wonderful gravitas, and Joe Sterrett's highly-spiced American accent added a further richness and significance to the production. There were many other convincing actors, none of them professional, whose abilities added to the quality of the ensemble playing - not least the new young priest at the Cathedral, Fr Andrew Allman, the school student Tim Hanley and the Sisters from the Ursuline Convent of St Thomas More on the Marsh. Yes, a truly democratic production.

I was also impressed by the visual impact of the performance. The lighting ­ simple yet wonderfully effective ­ pointed up the tension and dramatic shifts of the story. (That is a horrible American term ­ but Eliot was from Missouri US of A, not Oxfordshire or Kent, though he went on to be a director of Faber and Faber) Sound, too, was effective and, I gather, authentic, right down to the Dies Irae from the Requiem Mass for the dead, and the plangent leitmotiv of the organ ostinato for the enchanting and haunting (Greek) Chorus speeches of the Women of Canterbury.

Sound, too, came across very well, according to other people who were sat in other parts of the building. All credit to John Burkinshaw and Catherine Hanley who were called in at the last moment to consolidate the complex soundtrack. Praise, too, for Gerard Thornley and Canon Stephen "The Organist" Shields for their technical input ­ the latter, said one wag, had the best part in the play ...

No more names ­ that's invidious and divisive [and you have already overrun your word count ­ ed]. This was an impressive and emotive performance, and I felt it was great that the Cathedral is now seriously contributing to Lancaster's cultural and artistic scene. [see reviews of other things they have done....]

And the church was full ­ they had put out extra seating. The laugher at the four Knights' amazing Blair spin-like 'justifications' of the episopicide and the rapturous applause at the end (why was there no curtain call?) vividly demonstrated the audience's approval.

But why does the Cathedral not, literally, signpost and illuminate the way to the refreshments that were served afterwards in the Social Centre only 200 yards away? The chocolate chip cake was gorgeous, and the wine of much better quality than that available in many professional theatres.

Admission, amazingly, was free, but donations to the Cathedral's Organ Restoration Fund were invited. One can only hope that four figures were contributed. And another striking thing about this production was the fact that all the participants ­ cast, crew, production team etc ­ all came from the parish, bar one or two, in fairness. How many parish churches of whatever denomination can muster a force of such excellence? But this is Lancaster, he said, modestly ...

And why only for one night? If you can fill a venue once, you can fill it twice, as they say. But I hear that further theatre and drama are planned for the Cathedral including (it is whispered) some mediæval Mystery Plays. Is the venue the 'new black' on the Lancaster theatre scene? It can only be a matter of time before the Lancaster University Theatre Group (LUTG ­ link to our reviews of their pieces here) wants to muscles in.

But, with such stunning resident and distinguished talent, they will have much to compete with. Following hard on the heels of the recent Mozart concert, this evening added yet another welcome dimension of excellence to Lancaster's cultural calendar.

Copyright © 9 November 2005 David Dale