The York Crucifixion

            A wagon with three Bouffons aboard is dragged onto the stage by another jester (Kingsley Judd). Bouffons were the Mediaeval version of Bovver boys. Despite being strangely dressed themselves (Cherie Hewson), the characters continue to mock the status quo.
            The thugs demount and decide who they are going to pick on for their next beating. A new person in the town, Jesus (Renee McIntosh), is the obvious choice.
            In a similar manner to today’s thugs, there is a fair amount of grunting and friendly fighting (Andy Fraser) amongst themselves. Under the leadership of a Bouffon dressed like a locust (Damon Lockwood) they set out to find this religious leader. They crucify her, but Jesus arises from the dead and berates the attackers.

This interpretation of the 14^th Century play, is directed by Andrew Hale and has three well- respected ‘serious’ actors (Benj D’Addario, Igor Sas and Renee McIntosh) who are performing well outside their normal comfort zones. Still they blended skilfully in this off-the-planet play. One can only wonder if the real Crucifixion was carried out in a similar manner, by a bunch of yobs who were acting as reserve soldiers.
Living for some time in Glasgow, every area of the city was controlled by mindless, illogical gangs just like these Bouffons. The play was confronting, not from a moral sense, but in making the audience feel deliberately uncomfortable.
Do not expect this to be a sequel to last year’s light-hearted success, ‘The Messiah’.

The imaginative lighting by Lucy Birkinshaw created a powerful atmosphere. The design consultant, Bryan Woltjen, has left the stage completely blank but instead has created the most wonderful wagon Transformer. Like a Meccano set, it is pulled to pieces and reassembled at several times through out the play to create ingenious central props.

This play is very well thought out, but is deliberately designed to make the audience think. It has snippets from well-known musicals and films to add to the fun. Some bits worked others struggled a little, but the ideas were worth trying. The cast worked very hard. The highlight? A madrigal delightfully performed. I am sure that the director will see what works and will rework odds and ends in this very unusual, innovative play.

There's an article (actually three) in today's paper slamming the show for casting a female in the role of Jesus, then for a federal grant of $28000. There's a front page photo, with a page five article, then a third article in the arts section.

There are a number of upset individuals around Perth saying that the timing of this play (so close to Easter) is offensive and in bad taste. Having not seen the play myself, I cannot comment on the quality of the performance, lighting and general theatrical presentation, yet it does strike that this is either a very bold choice or a deliberate attempt to shock, not al-together a bad thing.

What gets me the most is the $28000 funding of tax-payer dollars. How did they get it? And how could another group get such government support? $28000 would go a long way if it had been spent on local theatrical groups rather than one single show, which from what I can gather didn't use it on big sets but a fold-out wagon that became a number of fixtures. It's a lot of money.

Absit invidia

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Director

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Knowing about the activities does not constitute acceptance of their decisions.

Absit invidia

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Director

Home Page
Yahoo Blog Page

As the director of The York Crucifixion and Artistic Director of Happy Dagger Theatre it is disconcerting that I am responding to criticism from people who have not yet seen the production. However, in true Easter style it seems, I must answer to scare-mongering and unsubstantiated claims. Knowing the company I keep, I proceed in good faith. All criticism of the production falls roughly into five categories.

1) The timing of the production is insensitive - We are attempting an exploration of the Easter story, therefore I cannot think of a more apt time. If the suggestion is that people should not think about Easter during Easter, must only think about Easter in a certain way, or that only Christians may ponder love and sacrifice at this time of year, I wholeheartedly disagree.

2) The production seeks to mock Christians - It does not. Four soldiers complain, blaspheme and mock as scripted by the clergy in the 13th century. This production uses a theatrical devise (Bouffon theatre) to portray those soldiers as immortal, otherworldly beings that play nonsense games and ignore Jesus because Jesus refuses to join in. Instead of mocking in the usual mean fashion they do so with delight and exuberance.

3) The production is blasphemous - This criticism seems to come from the misconception that Jesus is being portrayed as a woman. This is not so. Jesus is being played by a woman. Actors are vehicles for the story and as such, can play any age, gender, and/or form that is required of them. The character of Jesus is continually referred to as ‘he’ by the other characters as written in the original script. As for the semi-nudity, the image of crucifixion is for me one of fragility, vulnerability, innocence, and strength. To clothe that image is to dilute its power beyond theatrical use.

4) Happy Dagger Theatre wouldn’t dare do a similar production surrounding an Islamic Holy Day or Season - Any examination of a story that comes from a culture other than my own, not based on any knowledge or experience of that culture, would of course be offensive. It is no more Happy Dagger Theatre’s right to explore Islam than to explore Indigenous culture. My culture is predominantly Christian. As an artist I claim my right to examine the culture that formed me and to do so publicly. The implicit slander in such criticism on peaceful Muslims however, is palpable.

5) The State Government of Western Australia funded the production - Every arts funding application goes through a rigorous selection process. Most major theatre work is budgeted between $100,000 and $300,000. Our $28,000 grant made up less than a quarter of the original budget for The York Crucifixion. The shortfall came from the donation of goods, services and labour by those in support of the project. Happy Dagger Theatre employed twelve professional West Australian artists, five of them for a period of seven weeks.

Happy Dagger Theatre is a growing company with a passion for theatre, a desire to push theatrical bounds, a wish to always improve as artists, and a heartfelt faith that entertaining is the least theatre should be. Many people (Christians and Atheists alike) have already decided what Easter means to them. For the rest of us, Happy Dagger Theatre proposed an opportunity to take a look at the story and perhaps ponder its meaning afresh. The York Crucifixion has certainly done that. However we never imagined it possible, without it ever being seen. Andrew Hale

Andrew & Renee

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The York Crucifixion

The Rechabites' Hall

6 -23 March, Easter 2008