Father Brown

Fill in the blank:  “Father Brown” is a _______. What is your first thought?  A popular BBC mystery series with multiple seasons?  A Catholic priest invented by G.K. Chesterton a hundred years ago, who is featured in five books of short detective stories?  A vehicle for expressing Chesterton’s theological ideas in a popular medium?  These are all true statements, but your reaction to this play may depend on what you are expecting from the title Father Brown.  

First of all, this is NOT the television show starring Mark Williams. I have seen very little of that series but found it even in the first season to have drifted far afield from Chesterton’s writings. It also includes several recurring characters who are not in the published books.

If you are familiar with the books rather than the TV show (although the 1974 series with Kenneth More is closer to them than Williams’ is)—you may still be confused.  Although only four of the stories from The Innocence of Father Brown are specifically referenced, several others are quoted, and some characters conflated, in order to create a cohesive plot line for this play.  

Finally, if you prefer Chesterton’s nonfiction, you may think you hear lines which sound like they come from his much-loved book, Orthodoxy…and you’d be right. 

In short, it would be best to approach this play with an open mind, and allow yourself to be swept up in a set of puzzles and a cast of characters that may surprise you at times. Ultimately, we hope you find this introduction to Chesterton a pleasant diversion. More than that, we hope that you find much food for thought long after the final bow is taken. Which is, of course, nothing new as this is afO’s goal with ALL our productions!