As time goes on, and as Don does what he does best - write -
this corner will grow. Check back occasionally to see what
new works are being shared.

In the meantime, enjoy this fine sampling of his latest venture, a play...

 

Don invites you to sample some of his new play, Hell Fire Corner, set in Cornwall, England, c.1900. Below are two scenes from the work, Scene II and Scene V...

SCENE II

A Methodist chapel. STEPHEN-JOHN sits behind the pulpit facing the congregation/theatre audience; behind him stand the chapel choir, including some familiar faces: JACK, AMY, FLORRIE, THOMAS-HENRY, etc.. An organ plays. The choir -- augmented by the 'congregation', in reality a recording off -- sing the conclusion of the hymn... 'Rock of Ages, cleft for me, / Let me hide myself in Thee... Amen.' they sit and, as STEPHEN-JOHN gets to his feet, begin to relax for the sermon. A couple of them take sweets from their pockets and pop them in their mouths.

STEPHEN-JOHN (with theatrical passion): I take as my text today chapter one, verse forty six, of the First Book of Kings: 'And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the Kingdom...' 'And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom...' (Members of the choir smile as they hear the famous name.) I'm afraid it's no smiling matter, brethren! (The smiles vanish.) I feel sad, I don't mind telling you; sad and angry. Clearly when I uttered the word Solomon, not a man or even woman here was thinking of that wise king who took over from David... summoned, at David's command, by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to assume the throne of Israel... you were thinking of a rugby player. Even here, in God's house, you are picturing Bert Solomon the rugby player. I understand the pride and joy of last weekend's victory. How are the mighty fallen! I said to myself. We beat them fair and square, mostly through Solomon. but I cannot stomach the -- well, I would almost say the worship of him that I see -- that I hear and feel, at least -- all around me. Those shouts of Crown him! in the very season of our Lord's passion! -- His suffering on the Cross! Some, I've been told, were kissing his feet... I led a Prayer Meeting at Carnkie last week, and a gentleman, a very Christian gentleman, quoted to me a verse from the Acts of the Apostles: 'The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.' He was referring to Solomon. I was forced to rebuke him; there is only one God, I said to'n; and He is a jealous God. To his credit, he accepted my rebuke. I have heard other reports that have shocked me. A man who asked his friend if he thought Solomon was the greatest man who ever lived, and this friend replied that he would be hard-pressed to put him above the Deity! Can you imagine it? He would be hard-pressed to put him above the Deity! Mydear wife Elsie tells me I shouldn't be upset by it, as it was only a joke; but I said to her, even if it was, you should not joke about God. God is no joke. Those who believe He is a joke will find He has the last laugh when the eternal fire opens up beneath. There are men who weep, I have heard tell, at the Redruth ground when word goes round that Bert isn't playing becfause he's busy with his pigeons. I heard once, with my own ears, a man who arrived a bit late sayin' to his pal, who stood clsoe to me, 'Old son, I've got bad news for you; I just passed your house and looked in the window, and there was so-and-so cuddlin' up to your missus.' And this man responded, 'And I've got bad news for you -- Solomon isn't playing.' I heard that, and that was no joke! It meant more to him than the sacred bond of marriage. All we like sheep have gone astray... Yes, we; for I am not immune either. I could always tell when Solomon had the ball; for the noise of the crowd would change. And then I believed I could actually see him. Even last Saturday, when Solomon crashed over the line taking three Durham men wiht him, and at the same time Barrie Bennetts, thinking he had the ball, was going over the line in Hell Fire corner, with another two Durham men tackling him, because they thought he had it too -- I tell you it was as if I didn't need someone to describe to me what had happened. I thought I saw it. As in Job 42, verse five: 'I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye seeth thee...'

VOICES FROM THE CONGREGATION: Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

STEPHEN-JOHN: I have witnessed dumb men rejoicing with the tongues of angels, and lame men leap and caper, so that their loved ones could say, astonished, 'Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills... My beloved is like a roe or a young hart...'

VOICES: Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

STEPHEN-JOHN: But my friends, this was God's doing, not Solomon's. He is working through Solomon. That dummy of his, which passeth all men's understanding -- that magic, that sleight of hand, that miraculous feint to left or right -- is part of the Lord's abundance! Men have said to me, Stephen-John, do'ee think he is descended from King Solomon? We know there was trade with the East; we know Joseph of Arimathea came here as a tin trader, and very likely brought Jesus to these shores when our Lord was a boy... Is it possible there was a Solomon who also came, who perhaps stayed to marry a Cornishwoman? And I say to them, Well, it is possible; the King had five hundred wives, and presumably many thousands of children by them. It is possible... But where was I? Forgive me, I've lost my train of thought; must be getting old!... All we like sheep have gone astray... That was it. We can praise him and give thanks for him, so long as we remember the words of St. Matthew's Gospel: 'Behold, a greater than Solomon is here.' Our Lord Jesus... up there on the Cross... the dear of him! There can be no selling the dummy to Jesus Christ; He is not fooled; if He d'tackle you, you're straight over the touch in Hell Fire Corner... and you won't get up. Friends, I warn you of the danger, and I take heed of it myself. Do not worhsip false gods, but the one true ever-living Christ. Behold, a greater than Solomon is here... Oh, I know He sometimes don't seem to be playing on our side; especially here in Cornwall... Not so many money orders from the Rand any more, but plenty of sick and dying men... Children with no food in their mouths nor shoes on their feet... God d'seem as if He've got His hands in His pockets, like Solomon when he isn't interested... Or He's absent altogether, and nothin' will persuade Him to come, no amount of begging and pleading... and the rain is fallin' in buckets, and the ground's a quagmire... I know that. But He is there; and you just wait, pretty soon He'll go into a crouch and rub His hands together, spit on them, and -- there's the beauty! He's playin' everywhere at once -- on the wing, darting like a hawk, at the same time he's the Rock of Ages in the heart of the scrum!... But above all, He's there in the centre... You may think he've passed out to that horned old demon on his left, but he haven't: he've still got the ball... So never lose your trust in Him. He will score the try -- but you must take the conversion... In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

(The choir members and organist straighten themselves as STEPHEN-JOHN sits. After a moment's pause he stands again.)

STEPHEN-JOHN: The choir will now sing an anthem, 'All in the April evening.'

THOMAS-HENRY (leaning forward): Sorry, Mr Hosking, we've practised a different one. From the Messiah. We forgot to mention it.

STEPHEN-JOHN: Ah -- handsome!

Organ and choir -- augmented, off -- burst joyously into 'He is the King of Glory...' Cut after two or three bars.

***

Click here to read Scene V.