Francesco at Greenbelt

Rachel McFadyen, Tony Bell & Daniel Zappi

Anyone fortunate enough to be at the Greenbelt festival this weekend will be able to see the British premiere of Francesco, a most moving play with music based on the 'Little Flowers of St Francis, in this the beloved saint's 800th anniversary year.

I was fortunate to see a special preview of the piece, written and composed by Daniel Zappi, performed for Palestine in London in June.

Superbly directed by Justin Butcher and full of striking and profound words, it consists of episodes which are punctuated by beautifully sung verses from the Canticle of the Creatures.

Channelling the Franciscan spirituality of poverty and straightforward empathy, we were treated to an inspired piece of stripped down 'Poor Theatre' which relies on ritualised revelation and intimacy.

In the London preview, Butcher played the Wolf of Gubbio who doubled as an alienated scapegoat and the reviled 'wretched of the earth', condemned to play a socially prescribed, unjust role due to a 'famine of the heart.'

Francis, too, a 'wealthy, curled darling' played sensitively by Zappi, identifies an 'empty chamber in my heart' before he renounces the world, grim warfare, and his family to follow Christ, literally stripping himself bare to follow a 'hard path' of joy and rebuild a corrupted institutional Church.

Caroline Faber completed the multi-roling trio in London and her 'Sinner' song as a prostitute who is spiritually accompanied and liberated by Francis was immensely moving.

Other episodes covered included Francis's encounter with the Sultan, with the Devil and his sermon to the birds.

The play and song cycle make clear the all-too ongoing relevance of the Poverello with his striving for peace and justice, his honouring of all Creation, and his solidarity with the poor, rebuilding the Church through compassion through a radical honouring of Christ's Gospel of love.

Zappi will be joined by two other actors at Greenbelt on Saturday and Sunday and there will be a further performance at Hillfield Priory on 3rd October.

For more information see: www.greenbelt.org.uk/artists/francesco-by-daniel-zappi/