Woodside Morris Men only occasionally cross sticks with the cultural world of the theatre, but this summer we have been able to get involved, in a very small way, with a new production for the English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre.

The production is a new play by Jez Butterworth called Jerusalem, and it depicts a day in the life of Johnny “Rooster” Byron, a rebellious anti-establishment figure who is the only member of the Wiltshire community of Flintock who knows that his day is not yet done.

Johnny Byron is played by Mark Rylance, a living legend of the theatre, and prolific veteran of the more cerebral end of the market, and contributor to a wide array of TV and Film pieces that few have heard of, though none the less impressive to those who have. Judging by his performance here, it is the mainstream’s loss that he has not made more incursions into fluffy telly land.

His portrayal very effectively brought back to mind an array of characters both savoury and unsavoury, that provided colour to the more misspent parts of my lifetime, and it appears that a number of my Woody pals felt the same, if the gleam in their eye at first interval was anything to go by (I’m not sure if I can ever see Jon C in the same light again!).

The play comes in three acts, each of just under an hour, starting with a care-free morning after the night before that provided something of a nostalgic indulgence for myself and a few others, creating more than a faint yearning for the good old bad old days. It then moves on to a second act that promises a little more menace, suggesting some less pleasant doings that rumble along a fraction of an inch below the Flintock Soil. The final act sees the realisation of that menace, an all too human condition, and a last 20 minutes that show how Byron’s physical, vulnerable form is animated by his invincible spirit, with a final hint that there is more to his ramblings than just stories.

In the play, Gerry Horan, an actor with a much more pleasing list of high profile jobs to impress ones’ uncouth pals with, plays Wesley, a local landlord who has been put under pressure by his brewery to form the Flintock Men; said men being a selection of regulars from his pub, ‘the Coopers’, press ganged into performing Morris dancing on the village’s St George’s Day festival. Wesley plays an important part in establishing Byron’s place in the Flintock community, being a contemporary of the parish’s least wholesome constituent, allowing reminiscences of fond deeds stretching back over five decades, and demonstrating that however much you feel you’ve moved on, there is something irresistible about the life of Johnny Byron.

Gerry, the subject of Woodside’s intense two hour training course and Morris familiarisation evening in St Albans a few weeks earlier, does sterling work in portraying the put upon landlord in a broad range of circumstances; and I can report that, having to spend most of his stage time in Morris kit, Gerry looked very much the part (apart from the whizz packed nose perhaps!). As for his stepping, it may not have earned him his baldrics quite yet, but demonstrated a good grasp of the double step structure, without descending into the lame mule style that so many new to the dance fall into in their first months, and his beetle crushers certainly connoted an element of the Sun god’s mastery over chaos, but in a good way.

All in all, Woodside’s favourite player gave sterling service to both the production and to the Morris, belying the few hours of instruction afforded him. Good stuff Gerry.

Overall, the play is well worthy of a visit. There is a lot of well written humour, some of it a little formulaic (a little bit Shameless, and a little bit Terry and June), but pretty much always hitting the spot, and the performances, particularly of the ner-do-well Rooster apostles are extremely well realised. Among the reprobate ranks are stalwart stage and screen performers such as the instantly recognisable Alan David (Green Green Grass, loads of other stuff), and Mackenzie Crook (The Office, just about everything else).

Also well realised is the single set, and the lighting that at times tingled the lumbar vertebrae all the way up to the neck. Basically a forty foot trailer in a copse, it is a thing of beauty, with real trees framing the stage - natures proscenium arch. You could see why Johnny had chosen this particular spot in Rooster's Wood. The wonderful lighting changed throughout to indicate the passing day, but was at it's most effective in the last moments. If you want to know more...

Personally, I enjoyed the play on a number of levels, and if it was a DVD I would certainly have had at least another run through by now, with friends targeted for future showings followed by discussion. It could have done with more assertive gear changes from one act to the next, and you spent a lot of time on your bum (though not necessarily too much: the thought only occurred at the end of each act, not during), but the overall effect was pleasingly entertaining, and exquisitely disquieting.

You should try it, and not just for Gerry's double step!

David Dunham

Jerusalem at the Royal Court Theatre
Gerard Horan IMDb
Mark Rylance Wiki
Alan David IMDb
Mackenzie Crook

RECENT UPDATES