Synopsis An international group of church leaders converge in an African hotel to contend the need for Christian doctrine to change with the times. People here want God. Here where we live there is still pestilence and plagues, evil emperors, corruption - demons for some. When we look to the bible we do not see ‘stories’ like you. We see truth. Fierce theological debate demonstrates that what’s current thinking on one continent is abhorrent to another. In a neighbouring room, a brief sexual encounter between Joseph, a local porter, and Michael, a British conference volunteer, leads to a direct and potent challenge both to Michael, as he returns to England to grapple with ethics of his own, and to the liberal claims and professed compassion of the affluent West and its church. He’s a man. First and foremost. Who needs help. Drew Pautz’s tense and provocative new play considers what we may be willing to sacrifice, personally and in the public sphere, for what we believe to be right. World Premiere
Canadian playwright Drew Pautz created ripples at the Soho Theatre with his first play, Someone Else’s Shoes. He now makes waves with his second at the National, a cunningly written clash of religious cultures across continents; and the story of a modern marriage.
Love the Sinner starts in the middle of a religious conference in Africa. The delegates have come to an impasse while discussing homosexual bishops and same-sex blessings. Should they move with the times or worry about re-painting the house of Christianity too often, and too easily?
The African/European stand-off is resolved, with a twist, in the second scene hotel room encounter between Jonathan Cullen’s volunteer white layman at the conference and Fiston Barek’s black hotel porter, a member of the Holy Mountain of Fire mission to the world.
Cullen’s sexually conflicted Michael has “eyed” Barek’s Joseph – in a roomful of clergymen, and one woman, closing their eyes for secrecy – and they are caught, post-carnally, with Joseph asking for help and asylum in Britain. In the play’s third scene, Michael is confronted at home by his wife Shelly (Charlotte Randle) over their childlessness. She’s 39, and desperate.
In the second act, two more great scenes show us Michael at work in his small envelope business, going evangelically crazy until interrupted by Shelly – Joseph has turned up at the house – demanding explanations and sex; and a conference “wrap” in Michael’s parish church, where Joseph has been secreted by Michael in the basement.
It’s an unusually good plot for a modern play. Matthew Dunster’s production, beautifully arranged on Anna Fleischle’s adaptable set of wooden blocks and panels, has one of those fine mini-ensembles – Ian Redford as a kindly old bishop, Paul Bentall as a cringing vicar, Nancy Crane as priest and businesswoman, Scott Handy as an ecclesiastical “suit” -- that seem to sprout so regularly at the NT these days.
And they are led by an exemplary trio of performances: the tortured Cullen, who expresses a crisis in the clergy as a personal problem; the demanding and emotionally volatile Randle, stripping for action in the office; and the outstanding debutant Barek as the gay not-so innocent who puts the jizz into Jesus. We have a strong and serious contender for this year’s most promising playwright.
Tedious, vapid, pointless. The RNT Cottesloe seems to be the one major venue in London these days where you are guaranteed rubbish; sometimes patronising, often turgid, frequently a puerile stab at a worthy issue. SINNER ticks all the boxes and eclipses even PAINS OF YOUTH as the grimmest and most infuriating night out you can find for twenty quid. Who gives these plays the go-ahead? Wonderful to have paid a return visit to RUINED at the Almeida this afternoon: the best new writing on stage in the Capital; SINNER, in contrast, must be the worst. It's hateful. - Richard
03 Jun 10
It is true that this play offers no solutions to the conflicts within the Anglican Church (homosexuality, literalism), but it isn't meant to. The whites took Christianity to Africa and now have to live with the consequences of an irreconcilable clash of cultures. This is a very clever, multi-layered play, shot through with humour and wonderfully acted by a fine ensemble cast. I found Jonathan Cullen's Michael just a little too frenetic as he tried to convey his inarticulate sense of guilt over his affair with the young black porter, Joseph, beautiffuly played by Fiston Barek. Charlotte Randle as Michael's wife and Ian Redford as Stephen (presumably a bishop very much in the Rowan Williams mould) were outstanding. Loved it. - sc
02 Jun 10
'Puts the jizz into Jesus'? Oh Coveney, please.......personally, I found the play a lot of hot air. It took important themes and cheapened them. It added nothing to the debate about the church's attitude to homosexuality. As a personal drama it was histrionic melodrama. Each of the five scenes consisted of heated arguments which went nowhere. I felt sorry for the ensemble landed with such material and angry that the NT's new play process has yet again been found lacking. If you want to see new plays, go to somewhere like the Bush where they can spot them on the page before they put them on the stage. - Gareth James
02 Jun 10
What a load of fatuous old twaddle - I haven't been this angry at a play since 'Gethsemane'. Does no-one at the National actually read these plays? Incoherent, idiotic and weirdly acted, this is the sort of night at the theatre that makes me despair for publicly-funded drama. - addicted to theatre
22 May 10
A superb new play; thought provoking and ambitious, shot through with some great laughs. The performances are uniformly excellent with Jonathan Cullen, Fiston Barek, Charlotte Randle, Ian Redford and Scott Handy figuring particularly strongly. Just the standard of new writing one would hope to see at the National. - ajh
12 May 10
I also went to the preview last night and was underwhelmed. The script had some exciting and weighty themes running through it but not one was explored in the depth it deserved. If the writer had picked any one of them - homosexuality in religion - coming out to a partner - cheating - homosexuality issues in African countries - and actually explored it in depth it would have made for a great script. But alas, it ended up bitty and all over the place.
On a brighter note, the main characters played their parts exceedingly well - especially Jonathan Cullen, Fiston Barek and Charlotte Randle, who made the audience laugh effortlessly. And the cast overall were very good. - Mimi
12 May 10
I went to the premier yesterday and had a brilliant time. Very intelligent play, beautifully executed! - Elisabeth
12 May 10
Accomplished in all areas. One of the few plays I've seen recently that I would see again soon. And I will. - Lee Marriott
12 May 10
Went to the first night preview last night in anticipation of a great show. The conflict between homosexuality and the church never fails to make for a provocative and often fascinating debate - but Drew Pautz doesn't do it any justice.
The show plods along with turgid script which made the time we were there feel more like an uncomfortable and hideous ordeal than an interesting night out. Such a shame. - James
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