Jerusalem is a raucous, provocative new work that tells of a modern, mythic English hero: Johnny “Rooster” Byron. During the course of this Tony-nominated play, Johnny tells tales, gets drunk, does drugs, dodges the authorities, and both charms and infuriates all that he meets. The play opens on the morning of the local county fair, and we discover that Johnny Byron is both the most and least popular man in town. The local authorities want to evict him, his son wants to spend the day with him, the town thug wants to teach him a lesson, and his ragtag group of friends want to party with him. Though he may be harried, harassed, bloodied, and bruised, Johnny is not a man to be beaten down. Johnny’s stand against the hypocrisy of modern suburban life is shocking, moving, and a wonder to watch unfold. Though Johnny may be a modern man, he has the spirit of England’s legendary giants of myth. With Jerusalem, playwright Jez Butterworth spins his own darkly comic, modern take on the classic English idyll.
Jerusalem guide sections
