Story of the persecution of early Protestant followers of Valdez or Waldo, now known as Waldensians

Children of the Promise

at the Old Fire Station, Oxford

from Wednesday, September 4 to Saturday 7

Review by JON LEWIS

AMERICAN playwright Rich Mitchell’s new play Children of the Promise, ably directed by Miriam Higgins who is drawn to complex plays of ideas, tells the story of the persecution and harrying of early Protestant followers of Valdez or Waldo, now known as Waldensians.

It’s a dramatic telling based on Mitchell’s history of the Waldensians, The Scattered Leaves. Unusually for a small-scale professional production, there’s a cast of 10, wearing splendid costumes designed by Mitchell’s wife Renée.

The Waldensians faced the wrath of Pope Innocent III, the pope who launched the Albigensian crusades that massacred the Cathars in the south of France, and whose armies slaughtered Eastern Orthodox Christians in Constantinople.

Because the Waldensians, who preached poverty, did not recognise the right of wealthy bishops to oversee their religious beliefs, Innocent believed they had to be liquidated.

His phrase about killing anyone in Cathar territories whether they are Cathar or not, God will know his own, is repeated by one of the soldiers in this play as they hunt down subversives in the Alps.

Valdez (Paul Chesterton) is an ailing old man supported by a younger acolyte Michelin (George Reavey). It’s assumed there are many other followers on the run from Lyon as they head towards Piedmont in present-day Italy over the mountains. A local innkeeper, Giacomo (Jeremy Drakes), is sympathetic towards their cause, as are many peasants in the Alps, and shelters Valdez and Michelin.

Giacomo’s daughter Giana (Megan Mackenzie) catches the eye of Michelin who gives her biblical scrolls of Matthew written in French rather than Latin, another reason to be persecuted.

Part of the drama focuses on the love triangle between the growing affection between the couple, and the proprietorial relationship between the head of the local army, Arcimboldo (Steve Dineen) and Giana, and her attempts to free herself from his clutches.

Valdez has theological discussions in his mind with Innocent’s predecessor, Alexander III (Dineen, doubling), the pope who supported the murdered Archbishop Thomas a Becket in England.

As Valdez passes the torch of revolt to Michelin, he and Alexander reconcile over the assertion that they must have faith.