basswood

I don't know how closely this short play is based upon the original semi-autobiographical novel* but it was apparently successful enough to launch the new career of Peter Luke, a former artist/soldier. I can't believe I'm going to say this but I think today's standards might be a little higher. The story is of an angry, debt-ridden, foul-mouthed, ill-mannered, unsuccessful misanthrope with a kind heart (I imagine a Mr. Roper from Three's Company) who has dreamed his whole life of becoming a priest so he can finally reform the church to his liking. When he is suddenly elected Pope (named Hadrian after the last and only English Pope), you'd think the hilarity would ensue, right? No. Dry, dull, and parochial in its grasp of basic church structure and theology. And in the end, it was all just a dream. For all the complaints about the ending of the TV show LOST, at least they didn't take that route...

Just silly.

*The only reason I read this was because the online seller that I purchased it from apparently didn't understand that it was not the actual "Hadrian VII" novel written by Frederick Rolfe that I was expecting to get. Either that or he just suckered me knowing that nobody would buy it otherwise.