Guest Column by Pamela Gaunt
I’m Pamela Gaunt, writer and producer of Cliff & Me! a new musical coming to London’s West End theatre district in September of 2020.
For years, I have been interested in creating sacred drama … writing, directing, designing, and producing performances that create a special, magical Heaven on Earth experience for my audience.
I do this through the vision and intention of the writer and director, the energy and skills of the performers, a transformative story line (often using ancient mythological patterns), lighting, music, song, costumes and even dry ice!
Sacred drama can be experienced in a church service, a temple ceremony, a forest, a community hall, an off Broadway theatre or a West End musical, which is exactly what we’re doing with ‘Cliff and Me!’
And we’re going to be taking sacred drama even further. We will be talking about Heaven on Earth in the musical, asking the 3 Heaven on Earth Questions, and inviting the audience to continue their own story of co-creating Heaven on Earth once they leave the theatre! This has never been done before.
My son Glenn and I are co-producers (see www.gauntandson.com and also www.cliffandme.com)
Cliff & Me! follows our heroine Crystal’s journey from 1962 to today. Based on my own life story, I have mapped out her life following the pattern of the ancient mythological Goddess/Heroine journey as described in Maureen Murdock’s book The Heroine’s Journey.
We begin by seeing Crystal as a child whose heart and soul long to marry young British pop-star Cliff Richard. This matures into a genuine longing to find love and make the world a better place through political activism using women’s rights and peace protests.
After burnout and tragedy, Crystal eventually follows her own star and dreams…realising it is through her own innate spark of creativity she might, at last, find the love and world she longs for.
In the ‘story behind the story’ we see Crystal’s heavenly parents, Dark Queen of the Night and Father of Shining Light, fighting over past injustices and inequalities – will they manage to re-unite and restore mutual peace and equality? If so, can they – through their daughter – bring healing and wholeness? We hope for a celebration of Sir Cliff Richard’s eightieth birthday, and a love story come true – Heaven IS On Earth if we make it so!
As Crystal asks her friends the three Heaven On Earth questions she is, of course, also asking the audience. The questions and the Project Heaven on Earth website link will be in the theatre programs so our audience can engage with more and become Heaven Makers themselves.
If you’re interested in helping manifest this Heaven on Earth musical please look at our fundraising page here. Any amount you contribute helps. We’d also love you to share this with one or two people you think would be interested.
If you have an questions or ways you would like to be involved please contact me at: pamela@gauntandson.com
Cliff and Me! will be the world’s first musical with the purpose of actually creating Heaven on Earth.
Your sister in heaven making,
Pamela Gaunt
Martin Rutte
