|
A cornish religious play written by an internationally acclaimed
writer, which had its premiere exactly 55 years ago and which has only
ever been performed on three occasions, is to be staged again in early
December.The Boy From Egypt by Wallace Nichols was written in Newlyn
around 1950, when the author was curator of the Passmore Edwards art
gallery in the port. It had its first showing at St Ives Arts Club in
1951 as part of the Cornish Drama Festival, followed by a single
performance at St Peter's Schoolroom in Newlyn.
One of the actors who took part in the production was Liz Harman, and this year she is acting as director of the revived show.
Wallace
Nichols was a poet and novelist with a particular knowledge of the
ancient world. Born in Birmingham in 1888, he ran the London Mystery
Magazine, was editor of Windsor Magazine and was regarded as one of the
pioneer writers of Ancient Roman mysteries. He wrote historical novels,
including the bestselling Simon Magus, as well as adventures for boys.
Classically educated, Nichols spoke several languages, including
Babylonian and Egyptian. A friend of Churchill, Elgar, Dylan Thomas and
Lawrence of Arabia, he moved to Newlyn for health reasons in 1934. And
it was here that he had the idea to write The Boy From Egypt.
The
play is based on the Cornish legend that Christ came to Cornwall as a
boy with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. The drama is set in the year
AD8 when Jesus was a boy.
There was an active amateur dramatic
movement in West Cornwall during the 1940s, which Wallace Nichols was
part of. Liz Harman takes up the story.
"At that time there were
quite a few of us taking drama classes from a professional actor called
Ernest Pearce," she said. "His friend, the artist George Lambourn,
formed the Merlin Theatre at Mousehole and we put on some shows, mainly
Shakespeare. George created incredible sets."
The group staged The Merchant Of Venice and The Taming Of The Shrew and also took part in the Cornish Shakespeare Festival.
Mrs
Harman - who was at that time Liz Nash - went on to play Puck in A
Midsummer Night's Dream and Jessica in The Merchant Of Venice, before
being approached to take part in Wallace Nichols' new play.
"Wallace
asked a few of us if we'd like to hear a read-through of The Boy From
Egypt over at the art gallery," she said. "Well, to be honest, he had
such a terrible stammer that we thought it would take until midnight.
But in fact he read it beautifully and it was such a poetic piece that
I immediately accepted his invitation to be in it."
Two
performances at The Arts Club in St Ives followed, as part of the
Cornish Drama Festival - an offshoot of the Festival of Britain - and a
few months later the same cast gave a single performance at St Peter's
Schoolroom in Newlyn.
Originally commissioned by the Cornwall
Religious Drama Fellowship, Wallace Nichols described it as a "dramatic
morality" play. Written in verse throughout its cast of characters are
Joseph of Arimathea, Dobby, Kerenza, Jenna, Jowanna, Verona, Lowena,
Morwenna, Bothak and Getorix.
Mrs Harman, who named her daughter
Jowanna after the role she took in The Boy From Egypt, says she hadn't
thought about the play for some years until she was chatting one day
with the present vicar of St Peter's, Robert Strange.
"He was
asking me about legends and we got on to the story that most people in
Cornwall know about Jesus coming here with Joseph of Arimathea," she
said. "I said I'd look out a copy of The Boy From Egypt for him to read
- and he just fell in love with it and asked if we might put it on
again."
Rehearsals are now well under way for the two
performances in December. And as well as Mrs Harman's link to the
original production, Cynthia Yates, who plays Kerenza in the new show,
is the daughter of Cecil Gilbert, who played Bothak in 1951.
"Everyone
is working very hard to make it a success," said Mrs Harman. "There are
particular difficulties and challenges about staging it in the church
but I felt doing it in the church would add an extra dimension because
the play is as much an act of worship as a performance. I think it's
going to be very effective. The audience has got to remember, of
course, that this is a village performance and not a professional
production. But it has a message of hope and of love, and if people can
feel uplifted when they come away that's all we can look for."
The
Boy From Egypt will be performed at St Peter's Church in Newlyn on
December 5 and 6 at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £5 (to include seasonal
refreshments) are available from Barrons green hut in Newlyn, Morrab
Studio in Penzance or by calling 01736-362678.
Article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS
 |
