THE GLAD GIVER

‘The Glad Giver’ is, again, a story that has been playing in the very back of my mind for a long time. Like many people, I am fascinated by the figure of Julian of Norwich whose real name we don’t know. A medieval anchoress, confined in a single stone room attached to St Julian’s Church, she wrote the first book we have in English by a woman.

 Julian’s writings are mystical, steeped in medieval imagery, and not always easy to interpret. However, the message that comes through most strongly is that of a deep compassion towards the whole human race. This, at a time in English history, when the Black Death raged through the country, and the church preached purgatory and hellfire to a beleaguered populace.

 In my play Julian is an old woman, a little tired, sometimes lonely, beset by the pains that come with age. But her spirit is strong, and her humour too. Despite her confinement, she is in touch with the world through the window in her cell. 

 The script completed, I needed an actor whose voice would reflect the complexities of Julian’s personality: her faith, her doubts, her compassion. I put out a call for actors to play the role, and received this email:

 “I am an experienced voice actor aged almost 71 …As theatrical parts are few and far between for ladies of my age, I find much joy in audio work. …, I have found that Julian's words have given me much support over the years, so I'm hoping that all will be well this time too.”

 And so it was. Zanna Foley-Davies, to my mind, played the role perfectly. If you haven’t heard the play, please – listen and judge for yourself.