DAY THEY KIDNAPPED THE POPE, THE

by Bethencourt, Joao

At the end of his triumphal tour of New York, Pope Albert is kidnapped by Sam, a Brooklyn taxi driver. The play opens as Sam arrives home with his hostage and we witness each member of the family’s surprised reaction to their guest, who strangely seems quite unperturbed. Sam has demanded a ransom - for twenty-four hours there will be no killing in the world - and the Pope’s kidnapping has become an international concern. “The play is beautifully constructed, the characters are larger than life and totally credible and the dialogue is constantly funny. The whole play has a marvellously heartwarming universality without a word of preaching, a total lack of pretentiousness. It has more to say about humanity and life than any message play.” [Plays of 1983/4]