THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT. To 10 May.
London.
THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT
by Stephen Adly Guirgis.
Almeida Theatre To 10 May 2008.
Mon–Sat 7.30pm Mat Sat 3pm
Audio-described 3 May 3pm (+Touch Tour 1.30pm).
BSL Signed 24 April.
Captioned 29 April.
Runs 2hr 55min One interval.
TICKETS: 020 7359 4404.
www.almeida.co.uk
Review: Harriet Davis 5 April.
Headlong Theatre full-tilt at the Almeida.
Director Rupert Goold can’t fail at the moment, with his visceral, multi-award winning Macbeth and last year’s triumphant Faustus. Iscariot makes a nice addition to the cannon, in keeping with Headlong Theatre’s exploration of faith in the modern age. It’s set in a courtroom in ‘downtown purgatory’, where Romanian/Irish counsel Fabiana Aziza Cunningham (who has a few demons herself) is attempting to defend Judas Iscariot from the fiery pits of damnation.
Stephen Adly Guirgis writes with the colourful zeal of a born and bred New Yorker; his characters – among them, Mary Magdalene, Sigmund Freud and Satan - are straight-talking Biblical equivalents of pizza delivery boys, Harlem gangsters and sleazy bar owners. While initially it all feels a bit superficial (the pounding hip-hop soundtrack sometimes grates), beneath its glossiness lurks something much deeper. What is the purpose of damnation, and how could a merciful God create it? Surely those who commit the worst sins are most in need of forgiveness?
Guirgis’s arguments and counter-arguments – while peppered with foul language and risqué jokes – are both compelling and surprisingly sophisticated. Mother Theresa is a soft-spoken granny-figure, who reveals herself to be both virtuous and horribly bigoted, while Mary Magdalene is neither Saint nor ‘hoe’ but, as Saint Monica puts it; “A woman with clout.”
At just under three hours long, it’s a lingering, sometimes protracted cross-examination, but the second half is performed with such conviction that in the end it all feels justified. There are also strong performances – from Susan Lynch’s recklessly passionate Cunningham (aptly described as a ‘train wreck’) to Gawn Grainger’s chilling Caiaphas the Elder. Douglas Henshall makes a scene-stealing Satan; effortlessly cruel and smirking like a red-haired Jack Nicolson.
Despite the comic distractions – of which there are many - the play’s finale is a powerful one. Guirgis rightly points out that hell is something we create for ourselves. Like addiction or the throes of a bad relationship, you have to want to leave it behind. While Guirgis’s audacious approach may prove too much for some, at the play’s heart is poignant message about forgiveness and human folly.
Henrietta Iscariot: Amanda Boxer.
Gloria/Mother Theresa: Dona Croll.
Judge/Saint Peter: Corey Johnson.
Bailiff/Simon the Zealot: John Macmillan.
Fabiana Aziza Cunningham: Susan Lynch.
Yusef El-Fayoumy: Mark Lockyer.
Saint Monica: Jessika Williams.
Loretta/Sister Glenna/Mary Magdalene: Poppy Miller.
Uncle Pino/Pontius Pilate: Ron Cephas Jones.
Butch Honeywell: Shane Attwool.
Judas Iscariot: Joseph Mawle.
Matthias of Galilee/Signmund Freud/Saint Thomas: Josh Cohen.
Saint Matthew: Caiaphas the Elder: Gawn Grainger.
Satan: Douglas Henshall.
Jesus of Nazareth: Edward Hogg.
Director: Rupert Goold.
Designer: Anthony Ward.
Lighting: Howard Harrison.
Sound/Composer: Adam Cork.
Video & Projection Design: Lorna Heavey.
2008-04-10 00:42:45