Written on the Heart

Synopsis

After an acclaimted the Royal Shakespeare Company present David Edgar's critically acclaimed play, Written on the Heart, for a strictly limited West End season.

Across an 80 year divide, two men translate the word of God into the English tongue. For one, it means death at the stake. For the other, it could mean an archbishop's mitre.

After almost a century of unrest, the King James Bible was intended to end the violent upheavals of the English reformation. But deep-seated conflicts force a leading translator to confront the betrayal of his youthful religious ideals, for the sake of social peace.

David Edgar's extensive work for the RSC includes Destiny, Pentecost and Nicholas Nickleby, and marking the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible, Written on the Heart is directed by RSC Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran following his production of Cardenio, Shakespeare's 'lost play' re-imagined

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 24 April 2012

David Edgar’s Written on the Heart is a welcome and thoroughly engaging addition to the West End list in Gregory Doran’s intelligent production, his first representation in London since being announced as the RSC’s artistic director designate.

Some may find it stodgy going, but they would be people uninterested in language, the art of translation, the extent to which the Reformation submerged (not quite) the papal habits and influence, and the eternal Shakespearean struggle between monarchy and the church.

The King James Bible was published in 1611, the same year as The Tempest was first performed. Edgar's play takes place in London one year earlier as the academic clergy gather to decide on the final version. They are supervised by Lancelot Andrewes, the tortured Bishop of Ely and the outstanding divine of his day (an ideal role for Oliver Ford Davies).

We flash back to Flanders, where William Tynda...

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Latest User Review

Gary Hampton - 1 May 2012:

A superb play about the break with the Catholic church and the nature of the Protestant spirit that changed Europe, wresting the control of religion over daily life, and realising itself in the newly formed Anglican faith that led to the King James Bible, one of the finest works of literature in the English language. And one doesn't have to be one of the faithful to understand its importance (I'm an atheist), and it is true that one needs to come to this play with a knowledge of English history and the ramifications of religion during the turmoils of the Tudor and Elizabethan period. An understanding and appreciation of the sheer power of language will come to the fore as well, as this play explores what could be seen as the tedium of the translation, and illustrates how the translation into English both reflected the concerns of the time - church for congregation; evil spirits for temporal tyrants - and ultimately freed the United Kingdom from the constraint and tyranny of the Vatican. With the life of Tyndale, it is made clear why lives have been given for the freedom of expression and freedom of belief, and there is also the subtext of why this is all important in today's political climate. The production is superb, the language beautiful and literary, the acting first rate. I was engrossed, and so were the audience, and it may not be a play for everyone, but anyone with a love of the English language, the lessons of history, and the ever changing attitudes towards organised religion, will find this production engrossing....

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