REVIEW: JERUSALEM @ MOTHECOMBE HOUSE & GARDENS

🎭 Jerusalem

📍 Mothecombe House & Gardens, Mothecombe, Devon, PL8 1LB

🗓 Wednesday 3rd September 2025

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OUTSTANDING THEATRE

Continuing on from the success of TWELFTH NIGHT, the Wild Will Theatre Company were back last week, and for the first time stepped away from Shakespeare with their production of the Jez Butterworth play JERUSALEM.

The outdoor staging was brilliant for this play as it is set in the woods. We're at the caravan of protagonist of Jonny "Rooster" Byron and because of the way it was presented, it was as if we were part of the action.

Rooster has been served an eviction notice from the local council but it's St George's Day and he's due to take his son to the local village fair. There's also his motley crew of local wasters, to whom he is ostensibly a sort of Pied Piper character, who want to take advantage of his seemingly endless supply of drugs and alcohol, whilst the local hard man wants to inflict serious pain on him.

The play is a snapshot, a day in the life portrayal. Nothing seems to happen but at the same time, so much is happening! You get the impression that if set today that perhaps these are the sort of people that would be heading out to roundabouts armed with a paintbrush and a tin of red paint!

The casting here is absolute perfection, with each cast member completely embodying their characters and giving complete believability. Dave Fardon was sublime as Rooster, endearing as he drew us in to his eccentricities with fervor. In one of the strongest acting performances I have seen this year, you never quite know if his improbable stories were based in truth or were completely embellished beyond all recognition, but you also don't really care. Ultimately there is something familiar about him and despite his misgivings, you cannot help but warm to his character.

Michael Patey-Ford was wonderfully whimsical as the philosophical Professor whist Jack Purkis was lazy and rather tragic as Ginger. The entire company were fantastically flawless and could even grace a West End stage without feeling out of place. Freddy Carder injected real emotion and debth of character to Marky even though it was the smallest role in the piece.

JERUSALEM is a long play, but the pacing was brilliant and it never dragged or became tedious. The creative elements such as direction, lighting, set design etc all married together wonderfully and showed great understanding and respect for the story.

Wild Will Theatre Company will return again with what I'm sure will be more outstanding productions. Click here to head to their website to find out more about them and discover how you can get involved.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Jerusalem was gifted by Wild Will Theatre Company who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST (in alphabetical order):

Lucy Barritt as Dawn; Freddy Carder as Marky; John Currall as Davey; Dave Fardon as Jonny "Rooster" Byron; Izzy Fardon as Tanya; Kevin Fitzgerald as Troy Whitworth; Lisa Green as Parsons; Edie Grower as Phaedra Cox; Pete Hircock as Thug; Louis Papanfus as Lee; Michael Patey-Ford as The Professor; Maia Phippen as Pea; Jack Purkis as Ginger; John Rose as Thug; Imogen Stevens as Fawcett; Pete Stevens as Wesley

RUNNING TIME (approx):

3 hours 10 minutes, including two intervals

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Frequent bad language; Violence; Drug taking; Smoking; Implied abuse

AGE GUIDANCE:

14+