| The Last Confession | Milton Keynes Theatre 18-23 June 2007 Mon - Sat 7.30pm Wed & Sat 2.30pm An incisive new thriller that delves into the dark chambers of one of the most highly guarded institutions in the world. With a cast of 16, this extraordinary play takes an explosive look behind the closed doors of the Vatican into a world where everything is confidential but nothing is secret. |
In 1978, a little known Cardinal from Venice was elected to succeed Pope Paul VI. Pope John Paul I was known as the ‘smiling Pope’, and quickly showed himself to be the liberal that the reactionaries within the Catholic Church feared the most. Just 33 days later, he was dead. No official investigation was conducted, no autopsy was performed and the Vatican’s press release about the cause of death was later found to be, in large part, false. Only Cardinal Benelli had the power to challenge the dead Pope’s enemies and in The Last Confession, one of the UK's finest actors, David Suchet takes on the role, and can be seen at the Milton Keynes Theatre this month. As Benelli delves into the dark secrets at the very heart of the Vatican he discovers that the Pope had warned three of the most hostile Cardinals that they would be replaced. His death marks the climax of 15 troubled years of controversy with the Church, schisms threaten its unity and the shadow of the Mafia hangs over its financial affairs. As questions about the Pope’s death begin to surface, Cardinal Benelli is faced with a crisis of faith and conscience. David Suchet spoke to Ian Pearce about the role and his own faith. | 
