An original music-theatre piece created by Pamela Howard (author/director) with Rod Paton (Composer/Singer) and band for WEMSFEST. Based on the book “The Ways of Yesterday” by A.M.W.Stirling, (Butterworth 1930).
The New Jerusalem - A Sussex Story tells the incredible story of Rev. Lewis Way, who, in 1804, at the dawn of the New Century inherited by ‘Divine Providence’ £30,000 with the proviso it be used for philanthropic purposes.
His first act was to purchase Stansted House in Sussex. There he set about his life’s work - to save the entire Jewish Race by converting them to Christianity, and repatriating them to Palestine, which, he proposed would then become a Christian country. He imagined Stansted would thus become the Hebrew College where Jews would be re-educated, and travelled the world aiming to persuade the Crowned Heads of Europe to join his ‘Holy Mission’.
It is a true, fascinating and naive story that ultimately did not succeed. However, the chapel at Stansted Park that Lewis Way created for his purposes is testimony to the general optimism that prevailed amongst poets, artists, writers and musicians at a time when they were aware that whole world was changing. The New Jerusalem was performed in a traverse staging in the 18th Century Paviilion Tea Rooms in Stansted Park by kind permission of the Stansted Foundation.
Sc1 The New Jerusalem
James Kirby as Rev. Lewis Way and band.
Rod Paton (Composer/Singer/MD) as John the Gardener of Stansted House
Suzie Wilde as Lady Ponsonby
Sarah Martin as Vera, Lady Ponsonby's Secretary
Tony Clark as Benjamin Nehemiah Solomon - a convert
Sarah Martin as The Maid at Stansted House
Chris Nairne as Sultan Kategarry
Ryan Moss as young Albert Way
Tony Clark, Barry Jarvis and Jason Evans as the Crowned Heads of Europe
Sarah Martin as Princess Augusta.
Barry Jarvis as King George IV
5 - 10
<
>
Scenes from The New Jerusalem
Production photographs
Please click image to enlarge.