Written by Anthony McCarten

Directed by John Cunningham

In February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world by resigning, the first Pope in 700 years to do so. What drove this arch-conservative to break with sacred tradition and cede the way for Cardinal Bergoglio – a one time tango club bouncer, football-loving reformer with the common touch – to become Pope Francis, one of most powerful men on earth?

In this fascinating, gripping and often funny story of two very different men, Pope Benedict and Cardinal Bergoglio grapple with their complex pasts and uncertain futures.

From coming of age under dictatorships in Germany and Argentina, to the scandal of

sexual abuse by the clergy, The Pope shines a light into one of the world’s most secretive institutions. 

At its heart lies a timeless question: in moments of crisis, should we follow the rules or our conscience?

An intimate story, inspired by true events, of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years.

This 2019 play by Anthony McCarten (4 time Oscar and Golden Globe Winner, Double BAFTA Winning Screenwriter of The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour and Bohemian Rhapsody) was also produced as a major Netflix film in the same year, renamed The Two Popes, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.

This production is part of the Garrick Studio 26/27 Season - A Season of Connection: Stories that bind us, break us, and bring us back together.

Age Guidance: 12+

Content Warning: this productions contains discussions connected to the Catholic Church child abuse scandals.