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REVIEW
The Sentence
The Subscription Rooms, Stroud
"The Sentence" is a new play by Cheltonian author Martin
Lytton telling the story of John Scrivener who, in the 16th century
was sentenced to death for heresy by being burned at the stake.
His 'crime' was to translate the Bible from Latin into English to
make it more accessible to the common people.
His daughter was sentenced to light the fire.
This two-hander features Paul Southcott as Scrivener and
Katie McLeod as his daughter, Joan and makes for an intense
evening at a packed George Room at The Sub Rooms in Stroud.
The play is about words, their power to enlighten, motivate,
educate, empower, but also to shock, endanger and destroy. To
Scrivener, the goal was relatively straightforward - great swathes
of people worshipping a common God, had absolutely no idea of
what was happening during church services and were unable to
gain any personal insight into The Bible because they were unable
to read Latin. Simple, you'd think to produce a version that more
could participate in. However, the rigidly controlled class structure
of the time relied on a degree of ignorance on the part of common
people to maintain its power, and so Scrivener was charged with
Heresy and condemned to die.
As a two-hander, the success of the play depends entirely on
the extent of the dynamic between the two players and they not
only have this, but maintain it throughout the performance. The
scenes switch time frames marked by variations in lighting and an
insistently ticking clock - particularly effective are two sunlit
scenes from many years in the past, where Scrivener, as well as
educating his daughter is beginning to formulate his plans for the
translation. McLeod's reversion to childlike expressions and
actions during these scenes is delightful, and a necessary
distraction from the overall seriousness of the play. But we soon
revert to the central struggle of Joan's determination not to see
her father die, and his determination to see through his mission,
even though it will cost him his life.
Frank Griffith
with the Stuart Barker Trio
Silvershine Jazz Club, Smethwick|14th April
We rarely get the chance to see tenor saxophonist Frank Griffith
in Birmingham. In fact, Frank tells me that his last appearance was
with the late, great Andy Hamilton at The Bear Tavern, just a short
walk along the Bearwood Road from the Silvershine Jazz Club,
which itself has strong links with Andy Hamilton.
Frank hails from Eugene, Oregon, but has been resident in the
UK for some years now, building a strong reputation as an
instrumentalist, composer, arranger and educator. He is currently
Director of Performance at Brunel University.
For this gig, Frank was accompanied by a trio of graduates from
Birmingham Conservatoire, all of whom are established
musicians on the Birmingham jazz scene and further afield. Stuart
Barker propelled the group from the bass and proved to be both
a proficient accompanist and a melodic soloist. Andrew Woodhead
on keyboard is a musician equally at home in wholly improved
music and modern mainstream jazz. He was able to bring great
originality to his soloing. James Bashford was supportive of his
colleagues throughout the evening and made the most of his
opportunities to solo.
26 SLAP MAY
The most riveting scene though is Joan's interrogation -
Southcott dons a cardinal's beretta and scarlet sash to play her
interrogator, bent on prising out the extent of her involvement in
her father's 'crimes'. It is exceptionally powerfully played as Joan,
who had previously been warned by her father of the tricks the
interrogator might play, walks a tightrope where one false step
could cost her life. McLeod's facial expressions, of terror and
intense concentration and her startled movements in this scene
perfectly convey the mental struggle that Joan is going through,
while Southcott's delivery of the interrogator's mix of intellectual
superiority and outright menace is genuinely chilling. These are
both fine actors.
It's during this scene that resonances with modern life begin to
surface - religious intolerance and the suppression of women
through deprivation of education in particular.
The only quibble I have with the play is its brevity, at bang on an
hour, this and the abrupt and theatrically low-key denouement left
me with the uncomfortable feeling driving home that I'd left at the
interval. Stupid boy...
See this play when it arrives near you - the strength of the two
central performances and the power of the subject matter makes
it a deeply satisfying experience.
The Sentence will be performed at The Everyman Theatre in
Cheltenham on 8th and 9th October.
Geoffrey Head
Frank Griffith is a wonderfully melodic saxophonist with a great
command of his instrument. He possesses a big, fully rounded
and melodic tone. His playing brings to mind several past giants
of the saxophone including Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Dexter
Gordon.
The repertoire included jazz standards together with Frank’s
own compositions, including a wonderful interpretation of ‘Holland
Park’.
In conclusion, a thoroughly enjoyable evening of music-making.
Let’s hope that Frank returns to Birmingham without delay.
Words and Photograph: Alan Musson