In Extremis (play)
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In Extremis: The Story of Abelard and Heloise | |
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In Extremis: The Story of Abelard & Heloise is a play by
An early draft of the play was written in 1997 at the
Synopsis
In twelfth century Paris, a new spirit of philosophical and religious enquiry is growing. Within its vanguard is Peter Abelard, a man of great learning, independence of mind, and sensuality. When he enters into an affair with his equally brilliant but disastrously connected student Heloise, his more conservative enemies find just the pretext they need to discredit him and in so doing start a war of ideas. Through the joy and suffering exhibited in this love story set in the Middle Ages, Brenton explores the relationships between logic and religion, humanism and fundamentalism, and faith and power, and projects modern debates on fundamentalism, the Enlightenment and feminism back on this historical situation.
Plot
Abelard, arguing with his teacher
Bernard's agents Alberic and Lotholf reveal the affair to Heloise's uncle and surrogate father Fulbert, a
Bernard at last accepts the challenge to publicly dispute with Abelard before the king and bishops of France, but this turns into a show trial when Bernard immediately lists 12 points on which Abelard is heretical and Abelard refuses to answer them, maintaining a complete dignified silence and thus forcing his chief supporter the king to back Bernard and declare Abelard a heretic. Abelard and Bernard meet, and fail to make a reconciliation, and then Heloise attends Abelard on his deathbed. After Abelard's death, Bernard burns all of Abelard's heretical works and thus thinks he has won the struggle with him. He then goes to Heloise to affect a reconciliation, but this also fails. The play then ends abruptly with Heloise anachronistically showing Bernard a 20th-century, Penguin copy of the couple's letters, to prove that he has not erased Abelard and Heloise from history as effectively as he thought.
Cast of Globe productions
- Abelard - Oliver Boot
- Heloise - Sally Bretton
- Bernard of Clairvaux - Jack Laskey
- Fulbert, Heloise's uncle - Fred Ridgeway (2006)/ Paul Copley (2007)
- Denise, Abelard's sister - Pascale Burgess
- William of Champeaux - John Bett
- Louis VI - Colin Hurley
- Alberic* - Patrick Brennan (2006) / Michael Gould(2007)
- Lotholf* - William Mannering
- Helene, abbess / working woman 1 - Sheila Reid (2006) / Eleanor Bron (2007)
- Student / Courtier / Bishop / Monk - Tas Emiabata
- Berthode - Niamh McCann
- Cousin 1 / Company - Andrew Vincent
- Cousin 2 / Company - Simon Muller
- Francine/Franny - Rhiannon Oliver
- Student / Courtier / Bishop / Monk - Alex Kerr
- Student / Chamberlain / Bishop / Monk - Paul Rainbow
- Marie / Courtier / Nun / Company - Frances Thorburn (2006)/ Jenni Maitland (2007)
* - Described in the programme by Brenton as "a kind of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern double act", comic relief from the main themes.
Reviews
2006
- The Stage
- Michael Billington (4 September 2006). "In Extremis". The Guardian.
- Times
- Independent
- Telegraph
- Lyn Gardner (24 May 2007). "In Extremis". The Guardian.
References
- ^ Thaxter, John. "In Extremis review at Shakespeares Globe London | Review | Theatre".
- ^ Benedict, David (17 September 2006). "In Extremis".
- ^ a b Brenton, Howard (12 May 2007). "Howard Brenton on the Globe Theatre" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Howard Brenton". UC Davis Arts.