'In The Beginning'

2011-3-18
'In The Beginning
' at Westminster Abbey
By Nick Payne with extracts from the KJV selected by The Revd Dr James Hawkey
With Nonso Anozie, Christopher Eccleston, Ralf Little, Michelle Terry, Miranda Raison, Andrew Woodall

Thursday, 24th March only
Book tickets

According to Lucy Howe, The Bush Theatre, "You will not know which actor will take you around until you arrive, however as you journey round the space you will encounter other actors on the way. So of the 20 or so actors in the Ensemble, audiences will encounter 8-9 performers in total."

Source and other images

Bush Theatre:
Exactly four hundred years ago, in 1611, a group of scholars gathered together in the Jerusalem Chamber at Westminster Abbey to finalise their translation of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Subsequent centuries have seen this book become one of the most significant works of literature in the English language. To celebrate the publication of this remarkable text, Westminster Abbey has teamed up with the Bush Theatre to create a unique, intimate and highly theatrical event.

In The Beginning will see audience members taken, in intimate groups, on an extraordinary journey round the Abbey – accessing areas that are rarely open to the public and at a time when it is usually closed to visitors. Each group will be led on a journey by one of the country's most exciting established or emerging actors. As you travel round the building, an ensemble of performers will read carefully chosen extracts from the KJV which will cast a fresh and surprising light on the Abbey itself. This one off event will be a uniquely exciting way to experience an historic place and an historic text.

Co-directed by Josie Rourke and Christopher Haydon, in conjunction with the Dean and Chapter of Westminster
BBC News article
Review from The Independent


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sadly I can't attend this event even though I would love to as I've just come back from fundraising in Cambridge. To hear Christopher read passages from the King James version of the bible would be stunning.

But hey I can't attend every event, I am however, attending the BAFTA event in April which am looking forward to eagerly.

chiclit said...

oops, sorry about the delete-message had poor grammer. Guess I should have used the preview button...

In any case, I agree Jen.

Yes, it does sound like a very unique opportunity-Westminster Abbey is one of the few places I visited on my whirlwind only trip London and I found it fascinating-add having studied the Bible as literature in a long ago Humanities class to an Eccleston reading-would be quite the experience.

But it would be disappointing to pay for a ticket and not encounter him though!

Look forward to hearing about the BAFTA event.