‘Spirit' is moving

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 12

‘Spirit' is moving

“Spirit,” a modern musical dealing with the first 12 chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, is the latest production by the Salvation Army Christchurch Theatre Group.

The musical, which was written and set to music by two British Salvationists, Major John Larsson and Major John Gowans, opened at the Repertory Theatre on Saturday. The cosy, intimate atmosphere of the theatre is ideal for such a show, in which the cast must convey to its audience an important message from the story. The musical deals with the coming of the Holy Spirit and its presence in the early Church, the suffering the disciples must endure for their beliefs, the stoning and death of Stephen, and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to a disciple of Jesus. Essentially the story is

told by song, these ranging from the light and catchy, “Ask, Seek, and Knock,” to the beautiful and haunting “To Be Like Jesus.” The final song, “What Does the Spirit Say to the Churches, What does the Spirit Say to You,” conveys the point of the muscial. The large cast had been well disciplined by the producer, Gwen Millar, and the sincerity and enjoyment on the face of each person was obvious. It was difficult to pick one notable performance against another, but mention must be given to Grant Hitchings for his portrayal of Annanias. His conversations with the Lord brought a touch of humour to this otherwise moving musical. Anthony Stone as Saul also deserves mention for his fine singing voice. For the most part only 11 disciples appeared on stage. Leo Hanssen, who played Matthew, was on crutches as the result of an accident and had to sing from the side of

the stage. He coped very well. Sets and costumes were minimal but adequate. Most of the cast appeared in jeans and coloured T-shirts, red or yellow for the main body of the cast, white for the disciples, and black for Saul. This was most effective. The remaining characters, including Jesus, Stephen, the High Priest and Sanhedrin, Annanias, and the soldiers were in simple yet effective clothes of the day. The 10-piece orchestra under the direction of Thomas Brown provided a strong and lively backing for the cast. The theatre group worked hard to provide a lively but moving modem musical, and succeeded. As a musical, “Spirit” has plenty of entertainment value, but as the modern version of a Bible story it has a strong message for today. From whichever way it is looked at, it will make people think. —Margaret Butler.