Jerusalem (play)

On St. Georges Day, morning of the local county fair in Wiltshire, Johnny "Rooster" Byron, local 'waster' and modern-day Pied Piper, is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his young son wants him to take him to the fair, Troy Whitworth wants to give him a serious kicking, and a motley crew of mates want his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.{{cite web |url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsB/butterworth-jez.html |title=Jez Butterworth – Playwright |work=Doollee.com |access-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030204257/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsB/butterworth-jez.html |archive-date=30 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}Butterworth, J. Jerusalem, Nick Hern Books, London, 2009.

Jerusalem has a cast of around 14:

Johnny "Rooster" Byron – opinionated, eccentric, ex-daredevil and teller of fantastically improbable stories, he has a young son whom he rarely sees. He lives in a caravan in the local woods. He holds parties where he gets drunk and supplies drugs, some of them to under-age kids. He has a rare type of blood, and he makes money by selling his blood for transfusion.

Ginger – underdog of the group, older than the others who hang around with Johnny, never having grown out of the lifestyle. He aspires to be a DJ, but is an unemployed plasterer.

The Professor – vague and whimsical yet kind, the elderly professor spouts philosophical nothings and unwittingly takes LSD. He has a good relationship with Johnny.

Davey – young teenage abattoir worker who is best friends with Lee, and visits Rooster regularly for free drugs and alcohol. He can't stand the idea of leaving Wiltshire.

Troy Whitworth – local thug, the same age as Ginger. Troy's stepdaughter goes missing (after it is strongly implied he abuses her); he badly beats Johnny at the end of the play.

Lee – young teenager, enters the play after having been hidden on the sofa asleep. He plans to emigrate to Australia the next day, despite having little money to take with him.

Phaedra – Troy's stepdaughter is seen at the beginning of both Acts One and Two singing the hymn "Jerusalem" and dressed in fairy wings. She is said to have disappeared; at the end of Act Two it is revealed that she is hiding in Johnny's caravan.

Pea and Tanya – two local girls who emerge from underneath Johnny's caravan, having fallen asleep drunk.

Dawn – Johnny's ex-girlfriend and mother to son Marky. Although she disapproves of his life, she kisses him again but there is no reconciliation.

Marky – Johnny's six-year-old son.

Wesley – the local pub landlord, he is involved in the festivities for St George's Day and has been roped into doing Morris Dancing.

Linda Fawcett and Luke Parsons – council officials.

Frank Whitworth – Brother of Troy Whitworth

Danny Whitworth – Younger brother of Troy and Frank Whitworth

The BBC reported that the character of Johnny "Rooster" Byron was based on retired builder Micky Lay, who lived in a caravan in Pewsey, Wiltshire. Actor Mark Rylance met Lay and modelled his performance on Lay's mannerisms. He later gave Lay the Tony award he had received for his performance. Lay died of a heart attack in December 2013, while waiting for his local pub to open.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25574166 |title=Jerusalem: Inspiration behind hit West End play dies |date=2 January 2014 |access-date=2 January 2014 |publisher=BBC News}} Though the play does not specify a location of events, the community depicted is reportedly based on Pewsey, and the local festival is modelled on Pewsey's annual carnival fortnight.{{cite news |url=http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/pewseynews/4444964.Actors_give_tips_of_trade_to_Pewsey_school |title=Actors give tips of trade to Pewsey school |date=18 June 2009 |work=Wiltshire Gazette and Herald |access-date=24 October 2009}}{{cite news |title=Sod's lore |last=Briscoe |first=Joanna |author-link=Joanna Briscoe |date=30 October 2010 |work=The Guardian|location=London |page=R11 }}

The play makes frequent allusions to William Blake's lyrics to the song "Jerusalem", from which its title is derived.

The premiere of the play was at the Royal Court Theatre in London in the downstairs Jerwood Theatre. The staging involved live chickens, a live tortoise and goldfish, and several real trees surrounding an onstage caravan.

It was directed by Ian Rickson and starred Mark Rylance as Johnny, Mackenzie Crook as Ginger, Alan David as the Professor, Tom Brooke as Lee, Danny Kirrane as Davey, Gerard Horan as Wesley and Barry Sloane as Troy Whitworth, Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Phaedra, Lucy Montgomery as Dawn, Dan Poole as Danny and [https://www.instagram.com/lennieharvey/?api=postMessage&hl=am-et Lennie Harvey] as Marky.

It received very positive reviews all round:{{cite web |url=http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whatson_reviews.asp?play=544 |title=Jerusalem at The Royal Court Theatre |work=RoyalCourtTheatre.com |access-date=16 March 2014}}

There are several of the Royal Court's trademark "in your face" shock tactics and an exceptionally high swear word count even by the exacting standards of the address, this rich three-hour play is also tender, touching, and blessed with both a ribald humour and a haunting sense of the mystery of things. — The Daily Telegraph

Jerusalem is a bold, ebullient and often hilarious State-of-England or (almost) State-of-Olde-England play... [Johnny] is a shrewd, bold, defiant, charismatic, even mesmeric man born out of his time. Imagine King Arthur reincarnated as a troll and you have something of the quality he brings to the debased pastoral he grittily, comically and finally mournfully inhabits. — The Times

Rylance is magnificent in a hugely demanding role, and restores one's faith in the power of theatre to make a really beautiful noise and on a scale that is both epic and potentially popular. — The Independent{{cite web|last1=Coveney|first1=Michael|title=Jerusalem, Royal Court, London|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/jerusalem-royal-court-london-1752715.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/jerusalem-royal-court-london-1752715.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|date=19 July 2009|access-date=17 April 2017}}

Following a successful run at London's 380-seat Royal Court theatre, Jerusalem transferred to London's West End at the 796-seat Apollo Theatre for a limited 12-week season from 28 January 2010, closing on 24 April 2010. There it received its first negative review. Tim Walker in the Sunday Telegraph wrote of the character of Rooster: "With his chest out and his head back, lined up in a vertical line with his bottom, the actor does indeed resemble a rooster. The problem with the term 'local personality,' however, is that it is all too often a polite euphemism for a crushing bore, and three hours in Rooster's company does prove to be something of an endurance test." Rylance won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance.Akbar, Arifa (22 March 2010). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/from-a-play-without-a-venue-to-a-first-for-the-olivier-awards-1925030.html "From a play without a venue to a first for the Olivier Awards"]. The Independent.

Jerusalem opened on Broadway on 21 April 2011 at the Music Box Theatre, following previews from 2 April 2011. It was scheduled to play a limited season until 24 July 2011, and then got a four-week extension (to 21 August).{{cite news |last=Itzkoff |first=Dave |title=Jerusalem Gets Four-Week Extension on Broadway |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/25/jerusalem-gets-four-week-extension-on-broadway |work=The New York Times |access-date=25 July 2011 |date=25 May 2011}} Mark Rylance reprises the role of Rooster, with Mackenzie Crook and most of the original Royal Court cast also transferring.(20 December 2010). [http://broadwayworld.com/article/Rylance_Brings_JERUSALEM_to_Broadway_Previews_Begin_April_2_at_the_Music_Box_Theatre_20101220 "Rylance Brings JERUSALEM to Broadway; Previews Begin April 2 at the Music Box Theatre"]. BroadwayWorld.com. The full cast for the production was announced on 17 February 2011, with John Gallagher, Jr., Max Baker, Geraldine Hughes, Richard Short, Molly Ranson, and James Riordan joining the show.{{cite web |url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/John_Gallagher_Jr_to_CoStar_in_JERUSALEM_Full_Cast_Announced_20110217 |title=John Gallagher, Jr. to Co-Star in JERUSALEM; Full Cast Announced |work=BroadwayWorld.com |access-date=16 March 2014}} The play received a Tony Award nomination for Best Play, but lost to War Horse. Rylance won the Best Actor in a Play award for his performance.{{cite web |url=http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html |title=Who's nominated? |date=15 June 2011 |publisher=American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards |access-date=19 June 2011}}

After its Broadway engagement, Jerusalem returned to the West End in London, playing at the Apollo from 8 October 2011 until 14 January 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on |title=Jerusalem (West End) |work=Royal Court Theatre |access-date=26 July 2011}} Again, reviews were very positive, with The Daily Telegraph critic Charles Spencer giving it five stars (out of five), describing Mark Rylance as "an actor of indisputable greatness, giving the most thrilling performance it has ever been my privilege to witness."Spenser, Charles (17 October 2011). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/8833062/Jerusalem-Apollo-Theatre-review.html "Jerusalem review"]. Telegraph.co.uk.

In January 2014, Jerusalem had its west coast premiere at the San Francisco Playhouse in San Francisco, California. The first professional production of the play without the involvement of playwright Jez Butterworth,[http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Playwright-Butterworth-juggles-stage-and-screen-5150155.php "Playwright Butterworth juggles stage and screen"]. SFGate.com. the play garnered positive reviews, with San Francisco Examiner critic Jean Schiffman lauding Brian Dykstra's "enthralling, complex portrayal" of Johnny "Rooster" Byron.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140202093041/http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/jerusalem-casts-magical-spell-at-sf-playhouse/Content?oid=2691022 Jerusalem casts magical spell at SF Playhouse"]. SFExaminer.com.

In February 2018, Toronto's The Company Theatre (TCT) and Outside the March co-produced the Canadian premiere of Jerusalem at Crow's Theatre's Streetcar Crowsnest in association with Starvox Entertainment. The production starred Canadian actor Kim Coates,{{Cite news|url=https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/news/casting/casting-announcement-jerusalem/|title=Intermission {{!}} Casting Announcement: Company Theatre + Outside the March's Jerusalem|date=2017-11-21|work=Intermission|access-date=2018-02-06}} marking his return to the stage after almost 30 years.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/life/2017/06/20/sons-of-anarchys-kim-coates-returns-to-stage-in-to.html|title=Sons of Anarchy's Kim Coates returns to stage in T.O.|last=Dolski|first=Megan|date=2017-06-20|work=Toronto Star|access-date=2018-02-06|issn=0319-0781}} The production featured TCT's largest ensemble cast since their production of Festen (2008), which boasted a cast of 14:{{Cite web |title=Jerusalem |url=https://companytheatre.ca/productions/jerusalem/ |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=The Company Theatre}}

• Kim Coates as Johnny "Rooster" Byron
• Philip Riccio as Ginger
• Nicholas Campbell as Professor
• Shakura Dickson as Phaedra
• Kieran Sequoia as Ms. Fawcett
• Michael Spencer-Davis as Mr. Parsons
• Christo Graham as Lee
• Peter Fernandes as Davey
• Brenna Coates as Tanya
• Daniel Kash as Wesley
• Diana Donnelly as Dawn
• Katelyn McCulloch as Pea
• Evan Kearns/Daniel Kohlsmith as Marky
• Jason Cadieux as Troy Whitworth

Jerusalem was nominated for six awards in the 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award,{{Cite web |title=Announcement: 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominees (With Links to MOT Reviews) {{!}} Mooney on Theatre |url=https://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2018/05/31/announcement-2018-dora-mavor-moore-award-nominees-with-links-to-mot-reviews/ |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=mooneyontheatre.com}} and won in every category: Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Performance by Male in a Principal Role - Play (Coates), Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, Outstanding Direction (Cushman), Outstanding Scenic Design (Blais), and Outstanding Lighting Design (du Toit).[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/article-jerusalem-life-after-take-six-awards-each-at-dora-mavor-moore-awards/ "Jerusalem, Life After take six awards each at Dora Mavor Moore Awards"]. The Globe and Mail, 25 June 2018. The play was also awarded the John Caplan Audience Choice Award.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-26 |title=THE SCOOP {{!}} The Winners of the 2018 Dora Awards, Celebrating Excellence in Toronto's Performing Arts |url=https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2018/06/26/scoop-winners-2018-dora-awards-celebrating-excellence-torontos-performing-arts/ |access-date=2022-06-08 |website=Ludwig van Toronto}}

Jerusalem returned to the Apollo in the West End in London, in a run from 16 April 2022 until 6 August 2022, with Mark Rylance, Mackenzie Crook, Gerard Horan, Barry Sloane and Alan David reprising their roles as Johnny "Rooster" Byron, Ginger, Wesley, Troy Whitworth and The Professor respectively.{{cite web |url=https://www.bestoftheatre.co.uk/blog/post/jerusalem-back-in-the-west-end |title=Jez Butterworth's JERUSALEM returns to the West End for a strictly limited 16 weeks season |work=Best of Theatre |date=2021-07-29|access-date=2021-08-02}}

In 2014 an outdoor production created by [http://www.newjerusalem.org.uk Common Players] with Northcott Theatre, reimagined as "New Jerusalem", toured around Devon and Somerset.{{cite web|url=http://www.newjerusalem.org.uk|title=New Jerusalem|website=Newjerusalem.org.uk|access-date=6 January 2018}}

May 2017 at Hampton Hill Theatre, Hampton, United Kingdom. Steve Webb played Rooster. Directed by John Buckingham. Jez Butterworth sent a brief filmed message of support to the cast{{Cite web|url=http://www.teddingtontheatreclub.org.uk/production/jerusalem|title=Jerusalem | Hampton Hill Theatre}}

In Summer 2018 a production of Jerusalem was staged at The Watermill Theatre, near Newbury, with Jasper Britton as Rooster.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/predictions/theatre-in-2018/|title=Theatre in 2018 offers many reasons to be cheerful|last=Cavendish|first=Dominic|date=2017-12-20|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-01-26|issn=0307-1235}}

In June 2019, United Players in Vancouver, Canada, mounted a production{{Cite web |url=http://www.unitedplayers.com/PDF/UPV_PlayHistory_2009-Current.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=3 July 2019 |archive-date=3 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703230836/http://www.unitedplayers.com/PDF/UPV_PlayHistory_2009-Current.pdf |url-status=dead }} at the Jericho Arts Centre. Directed by Kathleen Duborg, with Adam Henderson as Rooster, the production received a very positive reception during its run.{{Cite news|url=https://www.straight.com/arts/1252501/jerusalem-delivers-laughs-and-modern-anxieties-not-so-classic-tale-rebellion/|title=Jerusalem delivers laughs and modern anxieties in a not-so-classic tale of rebellion|last=Dornian|first=Katherine|date=2019-06-10|work=The Georgia Straight|access-date=2019-07-03}}{{Cite news|url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/local-arts/theatre-review-a-superb-portrait-of-green-and-pleasant-drug-addled-mythic-britain/|title=Theatre review: A superb portrait of green and pleasant, drug-addled, mythic Britain|last=Wasserman|first=Jerry|date=2019-06-10|work=Vancouver Sun|access-date=2019-07-03}}

In July 2019, Grec Festival 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, mounted production at the Teatre Grec. Directed by Julio Manrique and translation into Catalan by Cristina Genebat.{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/07/12/babelia/1562922095_338893.html

|title=Llamando a los gigantes|last=Ordóñez|first=Marcos|date=2019-07-12|work=El País|access-date=2020-02-27|language=es}}

In October 2023 at the Quay Arts Theatre Isle of Wight with Mark Entwhistle as Rooster.

In February 2024, the Helsinki City Theatre, Helsinki, Finland, dramatized the play in Finnish, with Santeri Kinnunen playing Rooster.

The play was listed in the book and iPad app Played in Britain: Modern Theatre in 100 Plays, where it was selected as being among one hundred of the "best and most influential plays"{{Cite web |url=https://www.vam.ac.uk/shop/played-in-britain-modern-theatre-in-100-plays-120486.html |title=Played in Britain: Modern Theatre in 100 Plays product listing on the V&A website |access-date=18 October 2020 |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018110052/https://www.vam.ac.uk/shop/played-in-britain-modern-theatre-in-100-plays-120486.html |url-status=dead }} performed in Britain from 1945 - 2010.{{cite book|last1=Dorney |first1=Kate |last2=Gray |first2=Frances |date=14 February 2013 |title=Played in Britain: Modern Theatre in 100 Plays |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fU4QAgAAQBAJ&q=100%20plays%20britain&pg=PA216 |location=Great Britain |publisher=Methuen Drama |pages=216 |chapter=2000-10 |isbn=9781408164808}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20131108053521/http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/p/played-in-britain-modern-theatre-in-100-plays-1945-2010 Archive webpage on the V&A website about the Played in Britain: Modern Theatre in 100 Plays 1945 - 2010 app]

In 2013, the play was voted 6th in English Touring Theatre's public poll to determine the "nation's favourite play", and was one of the most popular plays with voters in London and the South East England.{{cite news |last1=Wyatt |first1=Daisy |title=The History Boys voted nation's favourite play |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/history-boys-voted-nation-s-favourite-play-8997766.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220608/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/history-boys-voted-nation-s-favourite-play-8997766.html |archive-date=8 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=25 October 2020 |work=The Independent |date=11 December 2013}}

In 2014, the play was voted 9th in WhatsOnStage.com's public poll to determine "The top 100 plays of all time!"

In 2015, the play was included in Michael Billington's list of the "101 greatest plays" ever written in any western language.{{cite news |author= |title=From Oedipus to The History Boys: Michael Billington's 101 greatest plays |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/sep/02/michael-billington-101-greatest-plays |access-date=18 October 2020 |work=The Guardian|location=London |date=2 September 2015}} Billington later made a list for The Guardian of "the 25 best British plays since Jerusalem" (to celebrate the play being revived at the Watermill Theatre 2018) where he described Butterworth's play as "the hit that transformed British theatre."{{cite news |last1=Billington |first1=Michael |title=Knockouts, nobles and nukes: the 25 best British plays since Jerusalem |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jun/27/the-25-best-british-plays-since-jerusalem |access-date=18 October 2020 |work=The Guardian|location=London |date=27 June 2018}}

In 2019, Dominic Cavendish wrote an article for The Telegraph titled "The greatest British play of the century: why Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem is a masterpiece".

In 2019, the play was named as one of "The 40 best plays of all time" by The Independent.

In 2019, writers for The Guardian ranked Jerusalem as the greatest theatrical work since 2000.{{Cite news|last1=Billington|first1=Michael|last2=Soloski|first2=Alexis|last3=Love|first3=Catherine|last4=Fisher|first4=Mark|last5=Wiegand|first5=Chris|date=2019-09-17|title=The 50 best theatre shows of the 21st century|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/sep/17/the-50-best-theatre-shows-of-the-21st-century|access-date=2020-06-11|issn=0261-3077}}

• The Ferryman (play)

{{Reflist}}

{{Jez Butterworth}}

Category:2009 plays

Category:English plays

Category:Wiltshire in fiction

Category:Plays set in England