I thought this was fabulous, excellent cast and William Ash was perfect for the role of Jesus. I can see what others have meant about the second half dragging, but overall I thought it was very well done. - Sugar
07 Oct 11
I was so looking forward to this. The NT’s Mysteries are one of the high points of my theatre going life. They were also using Tony Harrison’s version and The Globe seemed the sort of space they were made for. I think I was looking forward to it too much…..
At the Cottesloe all those years ago it took all day – The Nativity in the morning, The Passion in the afternoon and Doomsday to send you home on a high! Adam and Eve came out of the sand in which they were buried. Brain Glover’s god made me wish I was a believer. When it came to Judgement Day, I was somewhat appropriately on the wrong side, destined for hell. At the Globe, we race through from creation to passion in 80 minutes, then it took an age (as it were) to get from there to judgement day. The first half is so fast it lacks depth and the second half really does drag.
There are some nice touches and effective scenes – a chilling massacre of the innocents, a last supper Da Vinci freeze frame, the workman’s thumb injury as he nails Christ to the cross, the same workmen using their mobiles to photograph their finished work and the division of the theatre on judgement day…..but these were small rewards in an overall dull production. A lot of the verse was barely audible and though the lead performances by David Hargreaves as God, William Ash as Jesus, Philip Cumbus as Gabriel & Judas, Paul Hunter as Lucifer and Matthew Pidgeon as Joseph & Pilate were good, the ensemble could have been stronger. There was a touch af AmDram to the design, no doubt intentional but in my view misguided and I didn’t think the style of music worked - but in all fairness John Tams terrific folk score from the NT version is still ringing in my ears 25 years on.
From my perspective, a disappointment and a lost opportunity I’m afraid.
- Gareth James
07 Sep 11
10 days in - I loved it, and I have walked out of 2 Shakespeares at The Globe. It isn't meant to be 9 hours long - it's a 2 1/2 hour adaptation. Excellent ensemble acting. Some lovely touches, particularly the Da Vinci cartoon reference in The Last Supper and the mobile phone picture of the crucifixion. The appearance of Herod surrounded by dead, bloodied babies was horrific.
I nit pick - a lot. I thought the alliteration in the verse was overdone and far too much business with the erecting and removing of the cross. I could see health and safety all over that, which was a shame.
Go - it's well worth it. - Lady macbeth
17 Aug 11
Having seen the wonderful NT Productions twice I felt hugely let down by this production.The performance is far too long (3 and a quarter hours the night I went) and the script needs a great deal of revision.This is certainly not one of the best plays I have seen at the Globe, a pity as it sounded so promising a venture - Rob
12 Aug 11
A fantastic piece of theatre - superb acting and brilliant, thrilling stagecraft. Joyful and moving. - Jonathan Ainscough
11 Aug 11
great evening, very enjoyable! - Matthew Fensom
11 Aug 11
Comparisons are odious, but this certainhly missed the spirit of the great NT production, but this was a marvellous company and their fun was infectious. - Simon Surtees
11 Aug 11
First time I have ever regreted taking a guest from overseas to the Globe...have been going regularly for over a decade and am almost always delighted. The play was overly long and very weak. The actors were fighting uphill all the way to create thoughtful and coherent drama. A few compelling scenes only underscored the overall boredom: final applause resounded with relief. - McClellan
11 Aug 11
Mediocre acting, and a mere fraction of the plays that were adapted in the NT Mysteries years ago - I believe also by TH. These plays get to Christ parading with the Cross before intermission. The Old Testament plays, which provide most of the comedy in the Mysteries usually, here go for naught. It all seemed perfunctory, badly acted, lukewarmly directed, with no POV and mo raison s'etre, forsooth. A lame evening at the Globe. - Lewis
