as Judas raised an accusing finger. He was then dragged away and tortured in exquisitely detailed slow motion: a disturbing visual underscore to the monetary bargaining between Dan Edwards’ oily Priest and Hamish Kerr’s guilt-ridden Judas. Kerr went on desperately to address the audience directly, his voice heavy, words elongated with self-disgust, in the vain hope of understanding and redemption. The ensemble reunited and combined to all play the sinful facets of Satan himself. Using sharply heightened gestures, and snaking, fluid physicalities they confronted the audience, cajoled, tempted, teased and mocked, as they literally reveled in all the dark, dirty thoughts they inspired in us. At the end of the piece we returned to the cross to see a sad, broken Jesus pleading with the bloodthirsty crowd to be kind, to love, as they mimed pelting him with rocks, spitting in his face, and finally shooting him dead with their indifference. The performances were collectively well realised, the ensemble together, and the piece created some striking tableaux, beautifully lit by Jerome’s atmospheric lighting design. It was a Jesus story like no other, combining wonderful modern touches with an epic feel suitable for one of the most famous stories of all time. Last, but certainly not least, came Vernon God Little . Expertly directed by Ollie Norton-Smith and demonstrating an impressively tight ensemble perfectly in tune with each other, they entered, manic laughter wracking their whole bodies as they took it in turns to jeer classmate ‘Poor Seuss’ in thick Deep South American accents. Eddie Graham, playing Jesus in this scene, turned slowly and menacingly, prowling downstage, his face contorted with hurt and rage, before raising his mimed shotgun and taking them out, one by one, then collectively. A sharp and joyless ‘Ha!’ marks each shot and hit. The chorus simultaneously dropped to their knees, death breath rattling in their chests, eyes glassy and out to the audience, as Jesus knelt down too, placing the gun in his mouth and concluding a shockingly memorable opening scene that ushered the audience into a world defined by violence. Being an adaptation of a more naturalistic play, treated in a Berkovian way, the piece balanced highly physical, amazing chorus choreography to communicate idea and atmosphere – the “It was a Jesus story like no other...”
inspired and brilliantly funny slow motion gunfight sequence springs to mind – with developed, believable characters with definite through lines. This hybrid of the unapologetically physical, and the embracing of characters’ emotional arcs, demonstrated both varied skill and made for very moving storytelling: we watched Vernon, played in turn by the actors, sometimes all at the same time (but with great clarity), try desperately to understand what drove his friend to commit such a heinous act, and clear his own name. Noteworthy moments include the chorus creatively engaging in figurative mime, using their whole bodies to play and animate inanimate objects such as telephone wires and bicycles, as well as using light, weightless movement to surround, circle and entrap Vernon with barred chairs and the malicious whispered gossip of the townsfolk. An initially comedic court room scene, with a wonderfully false Luke Bliss as the self-important and preaching TV personality Lally called to give evidence, soon turned dark as the sinister and slimy Johnny Bray as Dr Goosens takes the stand, dripping with lies as Kai Tay Ashcroft’s upright lawyer questions him, before evidence reveals him to be a predatory paedophile responsible for Jesus’ final breakdown. The piece concluded with its most engaging movement sequence: dissolving from the court room scene the cast all played Vernon as he recounted his attempts to stop his friend Jesus – pursuing him through the school corridors in surreal slow motion, everyone’s movement controlled and articulated, expressionistically suggesting the futility of Vernon’s efforts. Having searched rooms via mimed doors, the ensemble suddenly and effortlessly become terrified pupils and teachers fleeing the school down the corridor, knocking into Vernon, and rebounding off him as he attempted still to go against the tide and reach Jesus. Having finally reached the door behind which Vernon knows Seuss is standing, the movement stops. There is a moment of suspension; a striking stillness with a heartbeat underscore created organically by the ensemble using their voices as we wait for Vernon to throw open the door… only to see the horror on their faces and to be told simply and heartbreakingly ‘I didn’t get there in time.’ Both pieces were great examples of the extraordinary dramatic talent and immense high- quality teaching at Dulwich College. All students achieved a well deserved A* for their work.
MISS ANNA SIMPSON (DIRECTOR IN RESIDENCE)
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