The dramatic talent of Banburyshire was shown at its peak last night in St. Mary's Church, Banbury with the first night of 'Murder in the Cathedral'. As I could have predicted with such a stellar cast, the suspense of T. S. Eliot's play was maintained throughout the evening as we were transported to 12th century Canterbury Cathedral and the violent death of the martyred Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, by the four knights of Henry II. 

 The high calibre of the entire cast was evident, not only in their superb acting abilities, but in their perfect diction which made every word audible - no mean feat in the resonant acoustic of St Mary's Church. And there is no doubt that the involvement of two actual Bishops in the cast brought an additional quality with their experience of addressing large congregations in churches. Perhaps this was most evident in the powerful Christmas Day sermon, delivered confidently from the pulpit by Thomas Becket (retired Bishop Jonathan Meyrick) and there was a sense that it could have been Jonathan delivering his own Christmas message as he spoke the words of the twelfth century Archbishop. Similarly, the first priest was played by Colin Fletcher, (retired Bishop of Dorchester in Oxford Diocese) who has delivered many sermons and words of encouragement for real congregations in St Mary's Church over the years, and it was a joy to see him back in St Mary's, taking part in this production. 

 The dramatisation was directed by June Ronson, a well-known performer and director in Banbury dramatic and operatic circles. Her vision of the play was inspired and inspiring both for her magnificent cast and for the audience who were gripped by the tension of the dialogue and action. Stephen Birch expertly handled the sound desk and musical inserts, and Richard Parker enhanced the extraordinary atmosphere of the church with his stunning lighting.

The idea of presenting 'Murder in the Cathedral' originated from Sir Tony Baldry as Patron of Festival 200 at St Mary's, and he sponsored the performances as well as taking part in the cast. It was therefore fitting that he began the evening with an explanation of the historical background to 'Murder in the Cathedral' and set the context for the audience. It was a magnificent evening of drama, and if you didn't get along to St Mary's on Friday night, you can come along to see it again on Saturday evening (16^th Sept) for free - donations are invited towards the upkeep of St Mary's Church. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to attend because Banbury will be talking about these two performances for a long time to come!

By Sarah Bourne