This play, which was Brenton's first play for quite some time, enraged many religious groups in England. This is a controversial text which claims that one of the biggest conversions of history – when Saulus, the antichrist henchman, became the messianic preacher Paulus – was a fraud. It was indeed Jesus who appeared before him, but not the resurrected Jesus. He never died on the cross, but was rescued and nurtured by one of his brothers; by Peter and by Maria Magdalena. They prefer to keep Paulus in the darkness, because even though he preaches the resurrection of Jesus, it keeps him occupied, consequently spreading the Christian message. Paulus is held capture by Nero and now before they are about to be executed as the first Christian martyrs, Peter tells him the truth. The play is an examination of the biblical history, and provides us with a radical and provocative new interpretation of Christianity and its origin, not unlike “The Da Vinci Code”. The result is a riveting study in faith and self-deceit and additionally, it deals with the human need for stories that explain the world and inspires action. Nominated for a 2006 Olivier Best Play Award. “Powerful and thrilling ... The beauty, compassion and sense of mystery in Paul's words sends shivers down the spine” ~ Daily Telegraph / “An exciting play that explores big issues” ~ Guardian
