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Songs and Lamentations by Michael Symmons Roberts interweaving new translations of two powerful books of the Bible: the 'Song of Songs' - the most sensual biblical love poetry; and the 'Book of Lamentations' - its most searing poetry of violence and vengeance.

Through a fresh contemporary translation working with Biblical historians, the reverberations in these texts throw light on current events in the same part of the world.

Jeremiah Peter Hamilton-Dyer
Rachel Gillian Kearney
Pashur Russell Dixon
Nathan Tom Ferguson
Zedekiah David Seddon
Thomas Henry Devas
Samuel Patrick Lally
Ana Deborah McAndrew

Directed in Salford by Susan Roberts

A powerful story of the horrific destruction of a once great city, and the love story of a couple who find hope and solace in each other offering two very different perspectives on the days leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian armies in 587 BC.

Set in the middle east, this poetry of violence, heat, passion and vengeance has clear resonance with the intractable cycle of violence - and the survival of love - in that same part of the world 2500 years on. The themes and wisdom of 'Song of Songs' and 'Lamentations' have never been more current or more apposite.

The two episodes mesh together to form a single drama looking at the same last days of Jerusalem from two very different perspectives.

Seen through the eyes of Jeremiah, the troubled prophet. Crippled by poverty and oppression, Jerusalem's streets are buzzing with talk of revolution. King Zedekiah needs a grand gesture to hold on to power. His advisers are urging him to raise an army to overthrow the Babylonians, but there is one siren voice against an uprising - Jeremiah. So Zedekiah has him arrested.