In the wake of Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar comes a new musical. This one, written and directed by Sue Pomeroy, takes up the story of the spread of Christianity through the life of St Paul.

It tells of the young and zealous rabbi, Saul, defender of the Jewish faith at the time of the teachings, crucifixion and resurrection of the radical Jesus. It depicts his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus from persecutor to evangelist.

Presented as a promenade performance, this musical allows the audience to follow and be part of the action around the impressive setting of St Bartholomew's Church. The acoustics of this lofty venue occasionally prevent the lyrics from being discernable.

Stuart Innes and Robin Cousins share the role of Paul - both give convincing performances and handle their musical numbers well.

Natasha Lewis is particularly impressive as Mary Magdalene, especially in the number Breath Of Heaven.

In addition to the professional members of the cast, there are players drawn from the local community - a commendable feature in a Festival event.

The work is ambitious in scale and would benefit from some trimming to tighten up the action.

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