A U.K. Review in [exactly] 250 Words: "Jerusalem" at the Watermill Theatre

Jasper Britton in Jerusalem at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury

Harriet Wilson

• United Kingdom Theatre Critic

Jerusalem, currently playing at Newbury's Watermill Theatre, is a fantastic and unique production. This is no surprise, when you consider that it was written by Jez Butterworth (whose incredible play The Ferryman has just closed in the West End). Jerusalem is darkly comic, well layered, and razor-sharp.

Jerusalem spends almost two and a half hours making you laugh, and then sobers you up in the space of a minute. Tension within this production is created deftly, and the comedic elements of the play toy with this, at times balancing it out, and at times accentuating it. The resulting atmosphere is very effective.

The use of staging within Jerusalem is also impressive, and contributes further to the atmosphere of the production. For this sort of play, an intimate venue such as The Watermill is a fantastic fit.

One thing that I love about Jerusalem (a quality which also impressed in The Ferryman) is how much depth there is to every character. Nobody is just a sidekick; everyone acts as if the play is about them. This means that the whole production feels textured, and very believable.

This also means that every actor in the production needs to make an impact. The cast of Jerusalem is strong all round. Jasper Britton (playing Johnny 'Rooster' Byron), and Peter Caulfield (playing Ginger) are especially charismatic.

The Watermill Theatre continues to prove that seeing any of their productions is a safe bet for a great evening out. Jerusalem is playing until the 21st July 2018.