Afternoon Play - Gerontius

Destined to be the first English saint for centuries, the great theologian, poet and Catholic convert Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-90) insisted in his will that he was to be buried in the same grave as fellow convert Fr Ambrose St John, whom he had known for over thirty years. Written by award-winning playwright Stephen Wyatt and starring Derek Jacobi as Newman, this highly-imaginative play explores the relationship between Newman and Ambrose, the concerns aroused at the time and the controversy surrounding the recent decision to exhume their bodies. The play also draws on some of the themes in Dream of Gerontius (music by Edward Elgar). Cardinal Newman ..... Derek Jacobi Fr Ambrose St John ..... Nicholas Boulton Fr Faber ..... Geoffrey Whitehead Angel ..... Karl Davies Demon ..... Michael Jayston Reporter ..... Ben Warwick Lecturer ..... Jane Whittenshaw Directed by Martin Jenkins A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.