We sat down for an exclusive interview with Jonathan Reed about his show Jerusalem. Following its debut in 2009 at the Royal Court, Jerusalem has been hailed by critics as “the greatest British play of the century” and is an irreverent hymn to myth, mischief, and England’s lost wildness.
Jerusalem runs from the 29th of April to the 9th of May at The Tower Theatre. Tickets here.
Jerusalem has been called “the greatest British play of the century”—what felt most urgent to you about revisiting it for today’s audiences?
The world is progressing at a speed none of us can comprehend; a reconnection to our lost wildness and a sense of magic and wonder seems more urgent than ever.
Jerusalem is asking us if, in creating our modern, ordered world – as fantastic as it might be – if we have lost our connection to the mythic, and a sense of the unknown. There is something deeply human and essential about this.
How did you approach balancing the play’s mythic, almost folkloric elements with its sharp critique of modern Britain?
For me, that conflict is everywhere in the play: whether that’s the synthetic, trance music of the rave dance and the traditional folk songs throughout the play by our wonderful composer Vahan Solarian, or the mythic symbols balanced against the serious, bureaucratic elements in the beautiful costume design by Kate Els, it’s everywhere to be seen, felt and heard.
I have to admit to falling flat out in love with the play’s haunting, mythic elements. It’s part of what attracted me to direct the play, and those lost symbols are what make Jerusalem so powerful. I’ve leaned into this element in the sense that I want the audience to feel a sense of magic, and I hope a sense of reconnection to something ancient.
Johnny “Rooster” Byron is such an iconic figure—what was key for you in reinterpreting him for this production?
Johnny “Rooster” Byron is an absolute gift of a character, and I think he is many things to different people. He can be enchanting and beguiling, and frustrating and threatening. Johnny is a true shapeshifter in that sense.
Giles Fouhy, who plays Johnny “Rooster” Byron, has brought such an incredible sense of humanity to the role, and what makes Johnny such a complex character is how he can appear differently in so many ways depending on who is looking at him.
To the Kennet and Avon Council: a dangerous nuisance, a drug dealer, and a menace. To his gang of misfits: a sanctuary, a saint, and a supplier of illegal substances.
But Johnny is much more even than that, and in rehearsals we explored his role as protector and guardian of the woods he lives in, but also of the many teenagers that visit him.
I would say the true Johnny is who he is when no one is watching, but for Johnny, there are always eyes even in the woods, and he is never truly alone.
As a director with a background in improvisation, how has that influenced the energy and spontaneity of this staging?
What I want most for audiences seeing this production is to feel a sense of aliveness. I’ve been saying to the cast: ‘If it feels alive for you, it feels alive for the audience.’
My background is in improvisation – I think the reason why audiences love improvisation is that they get to experience that sense of danger and not knowing through you as a performer. Capturing that sense of aliveness and spontaneity has been central to the rehearsal process.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some wonderful creatives, including Rebeca Pereira and Angharad Ormond, who have helped us build a movement and ensemble language so the actors can react and respond in the moment.
I really hope an audience can experience a show that feels different every night.
What does staging Jerusalem at Tower Theatre bring to the play in terms of intimacy and audience connection?
The Tower Theatre is a 100-seater theatre where an audience will feel as if they are right up close, in the woods with Johnny “Rooster” Byron and his gang of merry misfits. The Tower Theatre is an incredible space: it’s intimate enough to feel that close connection to the actors, but it’s got a lovely sense of space that will make you feel right at the heart of the open woods.
I think that closeness is something I am probably most excited by in staging this production. It’s been such a privilege to work with such a talented cast of actors, and I am excited about audiences being right up close with them, experiencing all the joy, all the mischief, and the magic.
The play resists easy answers about identity and belonging—what questions do you hope audiences leave with after this production?
In Jerusalem, we are always somewhere in between worlds: a “Rooster” wakes us up as night turns into day, a clearing at the edge of a forest, the cusp of Winter as it turns to Spring. And so many of the characters’ identities and feelings of belonging are in question or in flux.
I think that’s why the play felt like it touched on a zeitgeist when it was first staged in 2009. It tuned into a sense that the world was about to change profoundly, that we were on the threshold between one world and another.
That brings us back to why the play feels so urgent, even today. As we approach the threshold of that new world, I hope audiences will ask if they can reconnect to that wildness and rekindle a sense of myth and magic.
Jerusalem runs from the 29th of April to the 9th of May at The Tower Theatre. Tickets here.