Ben-Hur

Synopsis

Jerusalem, 20 AD: Judah Ben-Hur is torn away from his luxurious life as a Jewish prince and condemned to a life as a galley-slave for a crime he did not commit. Will he seize the reins of his destiny and ride back to freedom? Dramatic and poignant, Ben-Hur is the story of a man who stumbles into a place in history and of his extraordinary journey to freedom. Age 7-adult.

Our Review:

13 December 2002

Here's a Christmas show with a difference. Forget the sickly, sentimental Victoriana that dominates theatre at this time of year. It's time to go back to a semi-civilised land where no laws apply. Yes, time to venture into south London.

Battersea Arts Centre has been a haven in this benighted part of London for several years, but at first glance, it seemed that it had gone too far this time. Most people's recollection of Ben-Hur is focused on that chariot race (from the 1959, Charlton Heston-led film, which is usually watched in protest on a Bank Holiday afternoon for want of anything better) so BAC had to deal with people's memories of a Hollywood extravaganza.

Adapters Tom Morris and Carl Heap (who also directs) do a brilliant job of making Lew Wallace's epic watchable. Amazingly, this book has been staged before - in 1899, making this the first effort for more than a 100 years - though I doubt it could have been done better than here.

This new ...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (81.3.99.7) - 5 December 2002:

Black beauty had nothing on this fine filly. Ride on young Finn, ride on...!...

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