Sign in with Facebook
Josh's Reviews > Jerusalem
Jerusalem
by
by
"And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?"
A masterpiece of theatre. Better seen on stage but still an outstanding read.
I studied this at school for both my Drama & Theatre Studies and my English Literature A-Levels. As part of this I was lucky enough to see the "forbidden" recording of the original run at the V&A Archives in London.
Lamenting the fact that I missed the boat and would still never get to see it on stage in person, imagine my glee when Sonia Friedman Productions announced a limited return to the West End in 2022, with Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook reprising their roles as Johnny and Ginger. To this day I still feel honoured to have seen it with the original two, especially considering Butterworth wrote the character of johnny FOR Rylance.
I guess you could say I've now had the best of both worlds by seeing the original run via recording and the re-run in person.
Jerusalem is fundamentally "English". It takes place in England, has many references to the English zeitgeist, and incorporates spades of English folklore. The runs I saw had a giant St. George's flag as the stage background.
What exactly this translates to is a play that's both hilarious, with more comedy and swearing than the local pub on a Friday night, and yet is also deeper than an ocean. I was enthralled studying it because I was so drawn to the intrigue of "there's something more to this Johnny bloke" throughout.
This play is best read/watched knowing as little information as possible. If you ever get the chance to see it on stage (even if without Mark Rylance) then you should push it to the top of your list.
But if not - reading it will have to do. You won't regret it.
A masterpiece of theatre. Better seen on stage but still an outstanding read.
I studied this at school for both my Drama & Theatre Studies and my English Literature A-Levels. As part of this I was lucky enough to see the "forbidden" recording of the original run at the V&A Archives in London.
Lamenting the fact that I missed the boat and would still never get to see it on stage in person, imagine my glee when Sonia Friedman Productions announced a limited return to the West End in 2022, with Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook reprising their roles as Johnny and Ginger. To this day I still feel honoured to have seen it with the original two, especially considering Butterworth wrote the character of johnny FOR Rylance.
I guess you could say I've now had the best of both worlds by seeing the original run via recording and the re-run in person.
Jerusalem is fundamentally "English". It takes place in England, has many references to the English zeitgeist, and incorporates spades of English folklore. The runs I saw had a giant St. George's flag as the stage background.
What exactly this translates to is a play that's both hilarious, with more comedy and swearing than the local pub on a Friday night, and yet is also deeper than an ocean. I was enthralled studying it because I was so drawn to the intrigue of "there's something more to this Johnny bloke" throughout.
This play is best read/watched knowing as little information as possible. If you ever get the chance to see it on stage (even if without Mark Rylance) then you should push it to the top of your list.
But if not - reading it will have to do. You won't regret it.
Sign into Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to see if any of your friends have read
Jerusalem.
Sign In »
