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by
BBC South Yorkshire
contributor Catherine Chan |
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In
the distant mountains, goat herders and sheep herders have been
fighting for years.
No
one can remember exactly how the troubles started but it was definitely
the other side's fault.
Two
tribes go to war
With
battles raging all around, a chance meeting between members from
the two tribes takes place and fuels further fighting.
Whilst
out guarding their sheep, twin sisters Chaff and Mendel (Nicola
and Francine Gleadall) stumble on a lost goat-herder called Josef
(Craig Jeffcock). They've been brought up to fear 'goat-people'
- they're unclean, they're stupid and they're not to be trusted.
Regardless
of this, Chaff decides to help him. But her decision comes at a
cost - she is labelled as a traitor by the rest of the sheep herders
and is banished.
The
shepherds launch a revenge attack on the goat-herders and so the
cycle of fighting continues…
For
young people, Paul Goetzee's play is an excellent introduction to
world issues.
Conflict
and prejudice
Although
it was written in 1996 with Northern Ireland and Bosnia in mind,
its themes of conflict and prejudice are far more wide-reaching.
The
young cast work well together to create an atmosphere of hatred
and fear. Amongst the star turns are twins Nicola and Francine Gleadall
and Jon McKie, as Sylvian - a creepy former shepherd who had also
been exiled.
The
key characters were ably supported by a chorus of eight people,
whose haunting melodies and chants filled the Studio theatre and
lent an eerie atmosphere to the evening.
Even
if you normally shy away from 'political' plays, The Pilgrimage
is well worth a look. Whilst its core message is rather predictable
- "war bad, peace good" - the fable is told with charm
and humour.
The
Pilgrimage is at the Crucible Studio until 15 November 2003
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