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London Review
London ReviewJerusalem
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Jerusalem returns to London’s West End by Tim Newns
As before, we are swept away by the storyteller Jonny ‘Rooster’ Byron on an alcohol and drug infused adventure of giants, fairgrounds and Nigerian traffic wardens. This play is a deep rooted analysis of our country and our values and beliefs that draws us to a rather damning conclusion of who we are today, what we believe is right and who we can rely on. Jezz Butterworth’s play, which won Best Play in the Evening Standard Awards, remains to be exceedingly funny. Butterworth’s writing has that impeccable ability to humour us consistently yet to also be deliciously dark. The dialogue is so real, poignant and modern but also has a rather magical coating. Even though what we are watching is so relatable and recognisable, we nevertheless are constantly drawn into a ‘mythical’ heightened sense of realism. Home to Stonehenge, Druids and country fairs, we are on the borders of the West Country that we all know and love but quite often we feel as if we are sliding deep into one of Rooster’s very own tales. Everything about the production from the beautifully coloured woodland set and silver caravan designed by Ultz, the outstanding perfection of Mimi Jordan Sherin’s lighting, to Ian Dickinson’s atmospheric and ‘other-worldly’ sound design fuses to create a tour de force of modern theatre. Ian Rickson again directs in a stunning production where any minor flaws, not that I could pin point any, are quickly washed away by the brilliance and magic of the play and the spotless performances of the cast. Mark Rylance plays the hilarious yet tragic figure of Rooster with timely perfection. His performance is so watchable and mesmerizing it is only by the exceptional talent of the supporting cast that stop us from being taken away completely into Rooster’s world of narcotics and forest fairies. Rylance’s performance plants him firmly as one of the most talented actors of the 21st Century and it is to no surprise that he won Best Actor in the Critic’s Circle Awards. Updated Production Notes: Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth Directed by Ian Rickson Starring: Mark Rylance, Mackenzie Crook With: Aimée-Ffion Edwards, Sarah Moyle, Harvey Robinson, Alan David, Tom Brooke, Danny Kirrane, Jessica Barden, Charlotte Mills, Gerard Horan, Amy Beth Hayes, Charlie Dunbar-Aldred/Lenny Harvey/ Jake Noble, Barry Sloane, Marc Baylis, Tom Meredith Design: Ultz Lighting: Mimi Jordan Sherin Sound: Ian Dickinson for Autograph Running time: 3 hours 5 minutes with one full interval and a second, shorter interval. Box Office: 0844 412 4658 Booking at the Apollo Theatre to 24th April 2010 Re-reviewed by Tim Newns based on 10th February 2010 performance at the ApolloTheatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1V 7HD (Tube: Piccadilly Circus) |
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This Wesley, is a historic day. For today, I, Rooster Byron and my band of educationally subnormal outcasts shall swoop and raze your poxy village to dust. In a thousand years, Englanders will awake this day and bow their heads and wonder at the genius, guts and guile of the Flintock Rebellion. — Johnny parodying Henry V |
Mackenzie Crook as Ginger, Mark Rylance as Byron, Charlotte Mills as Tanya, Jessica Barden as Pea, Danny Kirrane as Davey, Alan David as The Professor (Photo: Simon Annand) |
Butterworth's new Jerusalem sees the residents of the new housing estates of his play Parlour Song set against the traditional countryman and squatter. They object to the riotous parties, to the rubbish tip sofas but more than anything to the attraction Rooster's home has as a place for their teenage children to hang out, get drunk and experiment with drugs and sex. The faceless enforcers of the local authority court order seem to relish posting their notice and from the caravan there is the noise of a dog barking and then whining but we are told Byron doesn't have a dog!
Jerusalem may well be regarded as Butterworth's masterpiece with its skillful blend of comedy and tragedy which sees the remarkable Ian Rickson's return to the Court to direct. Mark Rylance is in fine form, having honed his comic timing at the Globe, his performance is pitch perfect as he manages to win a place in our hearts as the scurrilous, not a moral bone in his body, Byron. Mackenzie Crook is superbly cast as Byron's mournful but loyal acolyte, Ginger, who we first meet the day after the party to end all parties which the hapless Ginger has missed. As the events of the night before are conveyed to Ginger, Byron too has his alcohol driven selective memory jolted to reveal exactly what he got up to. It's wonderful to watch his humiliating reminder! As the tale emerges so do the characters who have been asleep on the site, one boy from inside a sofa, Lee (Tom Brooke) and two girls from under the caravan, Pea and Tanya ( Jessica Barden and Charlotte Mills).
Ultz's set is dominated by the aluminum coloured caravan and real trees with real chickens scratching around under the caravan. Piles of chopped logs show how much of the wood Byron himself has felled. Byron appears in fairground eccentric clothing, strange hats and military helmets, vests and tattoos. Wesley (Gerard Horan) the local publican puts in an appearance in Morris Dancer clothing, bells on his knees and handkerchiefs to wave — to promote his pub. He explains about the traditional dancing "I'm no expert, but to me it says I have completely lost my self respect." We also see Byron as a less than responsible parent in the context of Dawn, the estranged mother of his child (Lucy Montgomery) and his little boy Marky (Lenny Harvey/Lewis Coppen).
Byron is full of wonderful folklore stories like the time he was fleeced at canasta playing with some little old ladies in a retirement home outside Wootton Bassett and, after a night on Drambuie and custard creams, in the morning he saw a giant. Byron's England is ancient and mysterious woodland, with tales of Druids and ley lines, standing stones and mythical figures, about to be ruined by housing development sanctioned by the Kennet and Avon District Council who have agreed to evict Byron under public health legislation. Through the unlikely figure of the sleazy but individual anti-hero Johnny Byron we realize that Butterworth's powerful play is about the destruction of the English country side. There are only a few weeks to see this magnificent production.
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