The Dulwich Players present Murder in the Cathedral by T S Eliot
Wednesday 11 November to Saturday 14 November At St. Bartholomew’s Church Westwood Hill, Sydenham.
The Dulwich Player’s production of T.S. Eliot’s ‘Murder in the Cathedral’ will bring the dark and dangerous world of medieval England to St. Bartholomew’s Church, Sydenham
Candlelight and live choral music will provide the atmospheric setting for Eliot’s verse drama that dramatically tells the story of the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.
Thomas had clashed with Henry II seven years earlier and fled into exile. Now, returning to England he knows he will almost certainly be killed, and struggles with the temptation both to avoid martyrdom and to embrace it for the wrong reasons, before facing the accusations and physical brutality of his death at the hands of four knights.
The play is held together by the Chorus of women who, as in Greek drama, reflect on the unfolding tragedy in some of the play’s most beautiful and searing language. Music arranged and composed especially for this production will also bring a vivid and emotionally enriching layer to the drama.
Written originally for performance in Canterbury Cathedral, against the backdrop of rising Fascism across Europe, the play provides a compelling call for resistance in the face of intimidation and holds much that is relevant to the 21st century.
The Saint Bartholomew’s Restoration Appeal (SABRE) is currently seeking to raise £6-700,000 for urgent repairs. This will also enable us to enhance the use made of the building by the surrounding community, through such improvements as a renovated, fully accessible crypt and new gallery
Programmes will be sold in aid of the St. Bartholomew’s Restoration Fund.
