Murder at the Cathedral
In 1163, a quarrel began between the British King Henry II and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The men had been good friends, but each felt that his interests should be of primary concern to the nation and that the other should acquiesce to his demands. Becket fled to France in 1164 in order to rally support from the Catholic French for his cause and also sought an audience with the Pope. After being officially (although not personally) reconciled with the King, Becket returned to England in 1170, only to be murdered as he prayed in Canterbury Cathedral by four of Henry's Knights. Three years later, he was canonized and pilgrims—Henry among them—have made their way to his tomb ever since.
This is a challenging piece for a professional theatre and the DODS are showing their characteristic ambition and talent in mounting it in the parish church of St James the Great in the centre of Dursley. Rehearsals began in May and continued through the summer in order to be ready and though there was no “set” to build in the usual sense, adapting the interior of the church proved quite a challenge for the DODS set, lighting and sound specialists.
The play runs October 13-16, 2004 and tickets can be purchased as noted on the “Tickets” link.