The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
At The Cultch until April 21
Tickets: 604-251-1363
thecultch.com
One would think there was little hope for Judas Iscariot whos right up there with Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot in public opinion. But American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis puts a new spin on the old story. As Jesus (Todd Thomson) says in the play, he loves us allJudas (Bob Frazer) most of all.
Guirgis uses a courtroom setup for his exploration of betrayal and redemption: God in the Kingdom of Heaven versus Judas Iscariot. Whats at stake is whether Judas goes to Heaven or Hell. Arguing for the defense is passionate Fabiana Aziza Cunningham (Katharine Venour); for the prosecution is oily Yusef El-Fayoumy (Marcus Youssef).
Guirgis writes the most crackling dialogue this side of David Mamet. Its so shockingly coarse at timesSatans comment regarding Job, for exampleyoure embarrassed to be caught laughing. Act 1 is a dazzler of one-liners, acid wit, gutter language and interesting argument.
But theres a big sag in the middleno fault of Stephen Drover (directing for Pound of Flesh Theatre as part of Rumble Theatres Tremors Festival) or this star-studded cast. The ensemble of 14 reads like a whos who in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»showbiz including Anthony F. Ingram (as a self-assured Freud), Dawn Petten (a demented, KitKat-gobbling Mother Teresa), Marci T. House (hottie Saint Monica) and Kevin McNulty (nasty Judge Littlefield).
But we all love a villain and Michael Kopsa, as Satan, is so evil, hes fantastic. Kopsa is cocksure, suave, sexy and every minute hes on stage its dynamite time with f-bombs exploding all over Drew Faceys stage.
Guirgis takes three hours to spin the tale, and The Last Days would be a better play if it were more compact. Its scandalously funny although I think the playwrights obvious desire to shock us obscures his serious message, which seems to be a simple one of forgiveness.
