The Stageclub presents ‘Jerusalem’ by Jez Butterworth
PUBLISHED October 6th, 2014 04:00 pm | UPDATED January 20th, 2016 02:17 pm
Having been around for nearly 70 years, The Stage Club is Singapore’s oldest theatre company, bringing us the best of English language theatre, from Shakespeare to Wilde. The 2014 season kicked off with ‘Stones In His Pocket’ by Marie Jones, followed by ‘What The Butler Saw’ by Joe Orton, and this October, the Stage Club presents ‘Jerusalem’ by Jez Butterworth, a thought provoking, comical and often raucous contemporary vision of life in England.
The Setting
It’s the morning of the St George’s Day (23 April) country fair in Pewsey, Wiltshire, Southwest England. Some background: St. George’s Day used to be a national holiday in England, but is now an observance that is celebrated with parades, dancing and other activities. Sunday church services close to the date featured the hymn Jerusalem – based on an 1804 poem by William Blake – that described a supposed visit to Glastonbury by Jesus Christ during his youth that goes:
I will not cease from Mental Fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land
The ‘Jerusalem’ in the hymn is a metaphor for heaven on earth, where people live in peace and in connection with the land. So, bear this in mind as you watch the action unfold on stage. Now, back to the woods of Pewsey, Wiltshire.
Johnny “Rooster” Byron, former daredevil motorcyclist, now local waster and modern-day Pied Piper, is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his son wants to be taken to the country fair, a stepfather wants to give him a serious kicking and a motley crew of friends wants his ample supply of drugs and alcohol. His trailer has been a refuge for the youth of the local town for 30 years. Johnny plies them with alcohol, dope, and tall tales.
And even when they grow up and pass into the ranks of his condemners, some of them continue to visit and buy drugs from him. But now the law is closing in—Johnny’s about to be evicted, his trailer bulldozed, due to a petition signed by the inhabitants of a housing estate that has been built within eyesight and earshot, of the wooded encampment.
Having been on the West End and Broadway circuits, The Stage Club’s rendition sees theatre veteran Nick Cheadle as Johnny Byron and Nick Kenny, who also directed ‘Stones In His Pocket’, directing.
We Chat with Nick Kenny
Why did the Stage club decide to do “Jerusalem”?
Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth caused a storm in London. It’s arguably one of the most successful plays in the West End in the last ten years. The play offers characters of all ages from 5 to 60 years old. The Stage Club is constantly evolving and with an incredible influx of young local and foreign talent that we have seen over the past two years the stage was set, so to speak. Oh, and did I mention this is the Singapore premiere? Which company could resist doing the debut?
What were your biggest challenges when it comes to directing this play?
The entire play is a challenge. It’s set in the woods, for starters. Fortunately, I’m working with a wonderful team of set designers who are doing some very exciting work. Orchestrating 16 members of cast is no mean feat, so is attempting to do justice to the fabulous language and bring out all the glee and comedy, sadness and woe. It keeps me up at night. The cast have got used to my odd text messages at 3am saying, “how about we do this bit like this…”
And what will be the biggest challenge for the cast, especially Nick Cheadle who will play “Johnny Rooster Byron”?
Being such a seminal play and following in the footsteps of such a successful production can be nerve racking. But we have to put all that behind us and make the play our own. Nick Cheadle is a brilliant actor, incredibly diverse and doing a wonderful job. Organizing and scheduling with 16 other members in the cast – including 2 ‘thugs’ for a brutal fight scene – takes a ludicrous amount of time and poses a real challenge.
The play is set in Pewsey in Wiltshire – which is very far removed from Singapore! Will the audience in Singapore understand the references to St George’s Day and indeed the title “Jerusalem” which is based on Blake’s poem?
I get this question a lot. The play is filled with very human endeavors that we all see every day, no matter where you are from. We all empathize with joy, frustration, friendship, grief and change. We deal with those and many more every day. When you see a film set in space for example, the crew battling for survival against all odds, I hope people aren’t sitting back with their arms crossed saying “Why’s this relevant to me? I wonder if these guys still have to pay their CPF?”
The arts should transport you to another world; they should take you to places unfamiliar. It can be very therapeutic when they do because all those emotions can be stretched and brought to an extreme while we as an audience can look at them objectively.
What is the message you hope the audience will take home after seeing ‘Jerusalem’?
I still don’t know if I side with Johnny at the end of the play. That’s perhaps what makes it so interesting. The play is duplicitous and leaves many unanswered questions. It flits between the improper and the boring, the dangerous and the coddling nanny and begs the question which side of the line are you on? Or perhaps you’re both…
Jerusalem is running 15-18 October 2014, 7.30pm, at DBS Arts Centre, 20 Merbau Road, Singapore 239035. For tickets and more information, see SISTIC.
