40 Dei - Friday February 27th

Jo and I played the tape of the songs that Florence and Betio have composed for the play. They had actually found tunes a couple of weeks ago but while the others went on tour with the play about the family protection, they disappeared into the studio to add keyboard and stuff for a guide track. Personally I thought this was a bit unnecessary. All we needed was a guide track for singing; ah they just want to muck around with the keyboard for a while , I say in my suspicious 'boss' hat. But when Jo and I listened, admittedly after a little wine, we were thrilled and rung Florence, waking her up to tell her how great they were. Must have sounded like there was some church revival going on in our neighbourhood as we sung at the top of our very untuneful voices. But lots of ideas for staging.

The play is called 40 days and looks at the church in Vanuatu. It starts with 3 drunk boys, one of whom is left senseless on the road. The next morning a pastor, his daughter and a leading woman member of the church pass his body lying in the road. For the daughter Lei, this is a 'Good Samaritan' moment and she wants to look after him. The others go to church and she remains. He wakes up and she scolds him for his drunken behaviour. He hears the singing coming from the church and is led by this beautiful sound into the church where he begs to be given the chance to save his life. He becomes an impassioned preacher for the church much to his drunken friends amusement….but he has an abandoned wife and child. He married when very young. And of course he is in love with the Pastor's daughter……the play explores what it means to be a Christian in Vanuatu and takes place amidst topical events like the treatment of prisoners and corruption of some 'bigmen'. Does the church speak out enough? Is divorce such a sin when not divorcing means condemning you and those around you to a life of misery and violence?