Leading an army of children
LIMERICK’S Belltable kicks off its autumn programme with the Irish premiere of Australian musical, Crusade, on August 29. Crusade, written by one of Australia’s leading creators of music theatre, Craig Christie, and directed by Richie Ryan, is based on a true story — the children’s crusade in France in 1212. Stephen of Cloyes, a 15-year-old orphan and shepherd (Conor J Ryan), said Christ appeared to him and gave him a letter for King Philip of France, urging a crusade against the Muslims in the Holy Land. King Philip was unimpressed. But Stephen believed he could lead a band of children to rescue Christendom, and that the sea would part for them as it had for Moses.
Historians differ on the number of children involved. Some suggest 30,000. Stephen rallied thousands, certainly, mainly boys, and some adults. Of seven ships supposedly leaving for the Holy Land from Marseilles, two sank and the remainder were surrounded by a Saracen squadron from Africa. The surviving children were sold into slavery.
