The work reflects Eliot’s own personal gradual transition from being agnostic to embracing Christianity and explores Thomas Becket’s commitment to the will of God over everything.

The play is interesting for many reasons but a particular feature is its focus on a situation rather than a story. It also relies heavily on the traditions of ritual whose origins are in early Greek folk-drama.

It is a challenging piece of work to perform but the quality of the writing and the power of the text combine to provide a very special piece of theatre.

Read more about the play at the Millenium Library or more about the author at the What The Thunder Said website, a site dedicated to the life and works of T.S. Eliot