INIGO - new play explores life of St Ignatius of Loyola

The White Bear Theatre presents the world premiere of INIGO, written and directed by Jonathan Moore at the White Bear Theatre from 3 – 28 February 2015.

Inigo follows the life of the Basque born nobleman and Christian revolutionary from ambitious hot-headed, street fighting hedonist with a lust for sensual pleasure and earthly glory to his conversion and subsequent adherence to the values of poverty, chastity, and obedience. It charts the founding of his religious order The Companions of Jesus (known pejoratively as The Jesuits) which set him and the movement on the collision course with church and establishment which has lasted through to the present day. This is a story of a man who stops at nothing in the fight for what he believes is right. It is also a contemporary allegory, a story of our times about anyone who demands change and meets with the savage opposition of those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

The ideas of Ignatius have influenced Shakespeare, modern psychotherapy, mindfulness meditation and The Twelve Step programme. The Jesuits have educated people as diverse as Descartes, Voltaire, Castro, Peter O'Toole, James Joyce, Hitchcock, Scorsese, Conan Doyle, Lorca, Bunuel, Freddie Mercury, Bill Murray, Rubens and Saint Exupery as well as the current Pope Francis, a Jesuit who is continuing its founder’s determination to bring about reform in Rome.

From the beginning to today the Jesuits have been the focus of much controversy, suspicion and conspiracy theories. Their political engagement and championing of the poor and marginalized has brought them into conflict with authority, sometimes from within the Church itself.

The world premiere of Inigo at The White Bear has a cast of actors whose experience includes The Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare's Globe, The Almeida, West End, TV, Film and Radio. Hilary Tones, Timothy Block, Paul Thomas Lyons, Fayez Bakhsh, Elle Van Knoll, Tom Kay, Tom Durrant Pritchard, and Matthew Howell. After training as an actor and working professionally in modern and classical theatre, Paul Thomas Lyons, entered a Benedictine monastery for seven years. He recently left the order, but will play a Benedictine monk in the play. The leading role of Ignatius of Loyola will be played by an actor of Yemeni Arab parentage and raised a Muslim, Fayez Bakhsh.

Jonathan Moore is an award winning actor, writer and director. As an actor he has played leading roles at the RSC, Royal Court, Donmar, Royal Exchange and on TV. He has directed theatre and opera world premieres at the Almeida, Donmar, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare's Globe, Gate, English National Opera, Covent Garden, La Fenice in Venice and tv among many others. A published playwright and librettist, his work has been performed at leading theatres including Donmar, Royal Exchange, Gate, BBC TV, radio and internationally. Jonathan was asked by Mark Rylance to direct the large scale immersive project for over fifty performers, "What You Will", a co-production for Shakespeare's Globe, The Cultural Olympiad and Mayor’s Office and several subsequent Shakespeare projects. He is due to direct a large scale site specific immersive project in Italy for Ludovico Einaudi and a new opera project with Stewart Copeland.

INIGO runs from 4 – 28 February 2015 at the WHITE BEAR THEATRE, 138 Kennington Park Rd, SE11 4DJ
Tuesday to Saturday 7.30pm - Sunday matinees 4pm - Tickets £14 (concessions £10)

Box office tel: 0844 8700 88
www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk
(no booking fee for website bookings}