Stapledon - a community play for Ashburton

STAPLEDON

Stapledon is a new play written by MED Theatre's Artistic Director Mark Beeson for a community cast with music by Gillian Webster and Trefor Farrow. This historical drama charts the life of Walter Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter – from his humble origins coming from a farming family in North Devon, through his meteoric rise in the church and politics to become King Edward the Second's most trusted diplomat and also his treasurer, to his murder by a London mob in 1326. His life is counterpointed by the story of a farming family on Dartmoor during the Great Famine. As Bishop of Exeter, Stapledon was Lord of the Manor of Ashburton on the south east fringe of Dartmoor, and in 1314 granted his house in Ashburton along with the chapel later to be known as St Lawrence Chapel to the people of the town. Stapledon was exceptional for his championship of education – he founded what became Exeter College, Oxford for the benefit of poor students from Devon and Cornwall.

The play Stapledon is based on detailed research into the life of the ‘quiet man' of Edward II's reign, who flew under the political radar for much of the period. He knew both of Edward's favourites, Gaveston and Despenser, and befriended Isabella as well as Edward himself, eventually being forced to choose between Edward and his Queen during an agonising encounter in Paris.

MED Theatre has been commissioned by the Guild of St Lawrence to create this play. Performances will be on Thursday 27th, Friday 28th, and Saturday 29th of September 2018, 7.30pm in St Andrews Church, Ashburton
.

Tickets are £8 (£5 children under 16
) and are available online from MED Theatre's website http://www.medtheatre.co.uk/stapledon-tickets/ or the Ashburton Information Centre. Doors open at 7.00pm and there will be medieval-style music played from 7.15pm.

Those who have purchased tickets in advance will be given seating preference over tickets bought on the door. For booking and more information contact MED Theatre on 01647 441356 or info@medtheatre.co.uk

For more information visit http://www.medtheatre.co.uk/stapledon/