James Wood’s new one-person play, The Wolves of Saint Matthew’s, is playing at this year’s Lambeth Fringe.
“Faith didn’t pay the bills. The Euromillions did. West London priest Father Kit Breakwater (Lawrence Harp) was meant to save souls, not slip notes from the parish pot.
But with bills mounting, a frozen church boiler, and a crippling gambling addiction, he’s been taking more than just confessions from his parishioners.
Then, one night, a £21 million lottery win changes everything – and Kit is thrust into a moral freefall. Should he use the winnings to put things right… or bury the truth forever?”
Where: The Glitch
When: 9 Oct
Ticket link: https://lambethfringe.com/events/the-wolves-of-saint-matthews
James tells us more!
What inspired the creation of The Wolves of Saint Matthew’s, and was it always planned as a one-person show?
I’ve been fascinated by the relationship between faith and power for a long time. When I write a play, the genesis of the idea is usually found somewhere in a key moment or character.
However, with Wolves, it was more a thought-experiment on the hypocrisy and juxtaposition of religion and gambling.
What is a life devoted to worship if not the ultimate roll of the dice? Philosophy students may recognise a shadow of ‘Pascal’s Wager’ present in the premise of this play.
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, stated that it is ‘rational to believe in God because the potential rewards (infinite gain for believing if God exists) outweigh the potential losses (limited loss for believing if God doesn’t exist).
Pascal effectively used rational probability to decode millenias of organised religion across the world – and in doing so also drove home an fascinating connection between those gently humming along to “Abide With Me” on a Sunday morning, those on their hands and knees doing their five daily salah, and those robotically dropping 10p’s into a coin sweeper on Felixstowe Pleasure Beach.
‘Faith is the substance of things untested – sounds a lot like a prayer, doesn’t it?’
In regards to it being a one-man show: yes, absolutely! I love the intimacy, and slight discomfort, that a one-hander gives the audience – especially when the protagonist is at least slightly unsavory.
As an audience member you are trained to align with the character presented in front of you, to trust their word and to believe they are the ‘hero’ in their own story.
This allows for a huge amount of fun as a writer to then sweep that rug from under the audience’s feet (several times in fact!). Finally, of course it had to be a one-person show.
There’s only one priest at a church pulpit. There was only one Messiah in 1st century BC Palestine, and in Catholic theology; there is only one God in Heaven.
This is a story rooted in the importance of idolatry and worship – and as such – Father Kit would never share his stage. How could he?
Why should audiences come along to the show, and what might they expect?
Come along to meet Father Kit Breakwater – the ‘rock ‘n’ roll star’ priest of Saint Matthew’s Catholic Church, Chiswick. A 29 year old, asthmatic, Chelsea fan who also happens to be scraping just a little off the top of the parish’s weekly donation dish.
Kit doesn’t see himself as a thief, a crook, or a sinner however. He takes the money – sure – but it’s only because he’s gotten so good at secretly reinvesting it into PaddyPower and Bet365, that the way he sees it, it would be a disservice not to.
Despite his knack for numbers, Kit is struggling: holes in the choir loft roof, seams breaking on the pews… that is until the result of this weekend’s EuroMillions jackpot is announced…and suddenly Kit is no more a pauper awaiting a miracle, he is the miracle.
Expect laughter, expect interactivity (yes, you are the congregation!), expect love, expect passion, expect a crumbling crisis of faith, and most of all – expect to leave questioning everything you thought you knew about placing your hope in something that at the end of the day, you can never control.
Do you find fringe festivals inspiring?
I love fringe festivals. This is my first time being a part of Lambeth, but I have been up to Edinburgh a couple of times to enjoy the shows and it wouldn’t be hyperbole to describe it as one of my favourite places on earth.
The twenty-four hour buzz of opportunity, choice, and the unknown creates an atmosphere of endless fun.
Lambeth, though smaller, of course, is able to take that same energy and apply it in one of the greatest, most-cosmopolitan, and historic cities in the world.
I cannot wait for our show to be a part of the bigger picture down here in South London.
What’s next for the show?
Well that all depends on how much you all like it! In a perfect world, we will leave you all wanting more, following the final curtain, and from there – who knows?
Edinburgh is certainly a possibility, though it would have to be a short run… that is unless… I win the lottery…