“THERE is a God-shaped space in everyone”, said St Augustine. Over Easter, a new group — the Space Project — showed how this hole was filled in the lives of three people intimately involved in ‘Resurrection’, a new play by Broadbridge Heath-based professional actor, Hugo Ellis. Turning the open space of the concrete tent of St John’s Church into a clean lined stage, the play cleverly juxtaposed text taken from the Authorized Version of the Gospels with the reactions in modem speech of Doubting Thomas, Mary Magdalene, and Simon Peter both before and after the central act of the Christian drama.

The old fashioned words strangely shocked, but so too did the impact of them on the changed lives of the principals after they had met with the risen Jesus.

The actors took not only their named parts, but also acted out the story, and both recorded and live music played an important part in creating an atmosphere in which the pain of the tortured death of crucifixion, and the joy of Jesus’ life were told out.

Mary Magdalene, as a woman previously snubbed by all society, told of the difference of being called by and known by her own name — as someone who mattered. Thomas, in spite of wondering why he only had ‘some concrete hospital south of the river’ named after him, while Peter and Paul both had huge cathedrals, related how having touched the hideous wounds of his risen God gave him empathy with all victims of violence and torture.

Simon Peter spoke for all of us who deny what we believe and are given another chance — again and again if necessary.

The actors became the characters and also us in the messiness of our daily lives. Amateurs all, they brought sincerity to their obvious skills, and held their audiences spellbound each night. With future productions planned, this is a group to look out for.