Funny peek into strange world of the Vatican
On one level they’re just two old men, feeling their age, knocking back a glass of wine and discussing life, religion and the universe.
But these are not just any two old men – one is the Pope, the other a football-loving Argentinian Cardinal.
Nine years ago Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world by resigning, the first Pope to do so in 700 years. He did so knowing he would likely be replaced by reformer and one-time tango club bouncer Cardinal Bergoglio.
Why would the most archconservative pontiff in years take this highly unorthodox step?
Writer Anthony Mccarten explores this question in his gripping play The Two Popes, a fascinating and frequently funny peek into the closed, mysterious world of the Vatican.
The play premiered in 2019 and was then adapted into a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.
Now it is back on stage and on tour in the UK starring Anton Lesser (Endeavour, Game of Thrones) as Pope Benedict and Nicholas Woodeson (Skyfall, The Pelican Brief) as Cardinal Bergoglio.
Both are excellent, and far from being a dry religious debate it’s a drama full of dry humour and laughout-loud jokes.
The first half is taken up establishing the character of each of the men.
The academic Pope Benedict is seemingly more interested in his studies than in his duties as pontiff, at the same time showing a childlike delight in a bowl of soup, and in a TV programme about a detective dog.
Bergoglio has been sending unanswered letters from Argentina to the Pope for years, trying to get approval for his own application to retire. Finally he books a flight to Italy and the two men confront each other.
This is the point at which the dynamic between them takes off as they argue over the many failings and crises within the Catholic church.
At the same time we see their own fragility and humanity as they explore their regrets and failings, the nature of sin and what penitence means to them.
These discussions offer the release they have been looking for, allowing the one to retire, taking the title Pope Emeritus, and the other to fulfil his destiny as the new reforming Pope.
The play, directed by James Dacre, is beautifully done with fine supporting performances from the ensemble and gorgeous music by composer Anne Dudley.
Jonathan Fensom’s set is hugely effective, videoed projections on to a proscenium arch changing the scene from the Vatican to the Sistine Chapel or the Castel Gandolfo.
One slight criticism is that the stylised accents can sometimes make the dialogue hard to follow, but nevertheless this is a compelling production that is well worth seeing.
The Two Popes runs at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday (October 29).
Call the box office on 01225 448844 or book online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.