22 July 2009

Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth


Pea - Jessica Barden
Lee - Tom Brooke
Ginger - Mackenzie Crook
The Professor - Alan David
Phaedra - AimeƩ-Ffion Edwards
Marky - Lenny Harvey, Lewis Coppen
Wesley - Gerard Horan
Danny - Danny Kirrane
Tanya - Charlotte Mills
Dawn - Lucy Montgomery
Mrs Fawcett - Sarah Moyle
Mr Parsons - Harvey Robinson
Johnny "Rooster" Byron - Mark Rylance
Troy Whitwoth - Barry Sloane
Other roles ? - Greg Burridge, Dan Poole

Director Ian Rickson
Designer Ultz

Seen on the aborted Post Show Talk night, the week after press night at the Royal Court Downstairs
Celebs in the audience:- Nigel Harman, Con O'Neill, Hattie Morahan, Alex Wyndham.


I'm lazy and too tired to express myself any more adequately than the words you will find in the many rapturous reviews here.

My initial anger about nobody having the decency to even attempt an apology or notification that the post show talk had been cancelled (which left us £30 out of pocket again) was soon replaced with the euphoria of such a wonderful experience. It seems like this piece might be the culmination of all the years that Jez Butterworth has nibbled around his various themes with such invigorating events. This has everything and is at tight as a drum with gaspingly good performances from several of the cast.

As a keen follower of young Tom Brook's career, I was delighted that he held the audience in convulsions with no words for several seconds upon his entrance.

We also joined in the most encores I can remember at this theatre. Anyone still sitting was in the minority.