Hear ye, hear ye: Johnny “Rooster” Byron is back in town. Widely heralded as ‘the 21st Century’s best play,’ (Guardian) Jez Butterworth’s legendary classic will explode once again into the West End with its original creative team, led by director Ian Rickson, a decade after its last record-breaking, sell-out run. Mark Rylance revives ‘one of the greatest stage performances ever witnessed’ (Telegraph) as “Rooster” Byron, alongside the “superb” (Time Out) Mackenzie Crook as his loyal sidekick Ginger, in this extraordinary lament for a lost England.
Jerusalem is a comic, contemporary vision of life in our green and pleasant land. On St George’s Day, the morning of the local county fair, Johnny Byron, local waster and modern day Pied Piper, is a wanted man. The council officials want to serve him an eviction notice, his children want their dad to take them to the fair, Troy Whitworth wants to give him a serious kicking and a motley crew of mates want his ample supply of drugs and alcohol.
Jerusalem is back at its original home of the Apollo Theatre, where it ran 10 years ago.
Rylance has won both Olivier and Tony Awards for his performance in Jerusalem. His other stage credits include Much Ado About Nothing, Boeing Boeing and La Bete. He was also the Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe for the first decade of the venue’s life.
Crook is best known for his screen work, rising to fame a Gareth in The Office and securing his reputation with reoccurring performances in the Pirates Of The Caribbean films as well as The Dectectorists.