Laughter from the Free Church on a Saturday evening could only mean one thing. – “In the Beginning” had begun. Two actors and a sound engineer from the Saltmine Theatre Company presented a fresh look at the Bible’s Book of Genesis. ‘Adam’ strolled in wearing only his trousers to a murmur of appreciation from the ladies. ‘Eve’ volunteered from the audience, but could not read her part because she had left her specs in her handbag.
Scenery was minimal; simply three large screens in blue, red and gold. A household step-ladder stood in for the ladder between heaven and earth in Jacob’s dream. A pink wig was enough to transform Abraham’s wife Sarah into his supposed sister. And their discussion on the subterfuge in Northern tones (the company is based in Dudley) reminded the older ones of Robb Wilton.

The audience sang-along to Noah’s Ark with a humourous version of “Singing in the Rain,” and later rendered the ooh-ooh-ooh bits of “Any dream will do” as Jacob interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of the seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.

“This was riveting and fast-moving entertainment with a few poignant moments,” in the opinion of one man. “Especially the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac if the Lord so desired it, which brought home to me the death of Christ to take our deserved punishment.”