Juggler of The Lord

Performed in the Church of St. Joseph and the English Martyrs, Bishop's Stortford, 1989

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Saint Francis (Henry Collett), in his nightshirt, steps precariously over the rooftop of a house in Assisi. A moving and tense moment, not least for the actor, staged on the marble baldachino of the Church of St. Joseph and the English Martyrs during 'Juggler of the Lord'. The musical, which told the story of Francis and his friend Saint Clare, involved building a temporary stage area around the main altar, and managing a huge cast including animals rangeing from pet rabbits and hamsters to a full-size horse. Bales of hay, colourful banners and a temporary wooden altar greeted Mass-goers on the week of the show. And lengths of cloth hung from the choir loft, which was transformed into the balcony of Francis' s family home.

Centre foreground: the Minstrels, including Emily Fordyce on violin (what else?) and Liz Sweetman on guitar. Seated Far Right is Fr. Donald Fraser CSsR. At back, five in from the Right is Robin Gregory, then Head of St. Mary's Catholic School.