This production, which brings together a cast of professional actors supplemented by members of the legal profession from the Middle and Inner Temple chambers of barristers, is directed by Joe Harmston. The cast includes Philip Franks, Christopher Ravenscroft, Andrew Hall, Patrick Toomey, Christopher Hollis with the Chorus of Women of Canterbury and Priests cast from the British judiciary in Middle and Inner Temple. In the play, an influential religious leader is cruelly cut down in the bosom of his temple; the forces of "law and order" are galvanized into repression; a dangerous cult of martyrdom rises in reaction… The year is 1170, the place Canterbury, the martyr a politically astute Archbishop: Thomas A. Becket. King Henry’s words, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" are folklore now; then they unleashed a slaughter which nearly unseated the monarch and shook the nation but who, asks T.S. Eliot, is this man Becket and why does he choose the path of death?
According to publicity materials, "In a world of suicide attacks and religious wars, Eliot’s play is painfully resonant and, in its 80th anniversary year, demands fresh analysis."
To book tickets, contact the box office on 020 7427 5641, or visit www.templemusic.org.