Jesus Hopped the A Train
Jesus Hopped the A Train, Belvoir St Downstairs, September 13-October 7; www.belvoir.com.au
Stephen Adly Guirgis, author of Jesus Hopped the A Train has some powerful support back in New York. The New York Times declared him to be one of the America's best young playwrights on the strength of this and not more than two or three other works. He's not without fans in Sydney either: Philip Seymour Hoffman, the actor-director currently here to direct Andrew Upton's new play Riflemind, at the Wharf, is a long-time collaborator and admirer. And so is Wayne Blair, the Australian actor who read the play three years ago and determined then and there that he would stage it and appear in it, come what may.
It's easy to see why Blair would be so attracted to the play and to playing the central character, Lucius Jenkins. Jenkins is a Southern psycho whose babble about loving God and not fearing death is more than balanced by his determination not to be extradited back to Florida to stand trial for brutal multiple murders. As played by Blair - with energy and conviction to burn - Jenkins is disturbingly attractive and compelling - in the way one might suspect a religious nutcase could be.
One of those drawn to him, albeit reluctantly, is Angel (Ryan Johnson) a young Puerto Rican. Angel is awaiting trial for murder but his path to the cells is as accidental as Jenkins's was not. As he explains it, when he shot a religious cult leader in the ass he never meant to kill him, it was his only means of protesting the loss of a loved one to the cult. And indeed his shots did not cause the man's death: he was well on the way to recovery when hospital mismanagement did him in. (This is a hole in the plot which you'd hope Angel's lawyer, Mary Jane Hanrahan, would immediately jump on but the story requires her to do otherwise and, in the greater scheme of things you don't mind.)
Hanrahan is played by a deliciously laconic and rueful Anni Finsterer: here is a lawyer whose ideals are gradually being worn down by the system but whose heart is as well placed as the voraciously God-bothering Lucius Jenkins's heart is not. It's one of the paradoxes in a hotly wrought yet extremely effective play which is directed with conviction and finesse by Wayne Blair. It's an impressive dual role from the actor who was most recently seen (and was most impressive) in the title role of Bell Shakespeare's Othello.
A Train is a rich piece of work ranging across theology, rap, cults, the power of sunshine and love; the even greater power of humour and honesty. And finally - the glorious power of the brilliant bold actor who takes on a challenging text. Wayne Blair is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in Australian theatre - and not a moment too soon.
Alan Flowers and Ashley Lyons also appear in this fine production which is designed by Jacob Nash and lit by Stephen Hawker. Mention too must be made of dialect coach John Higgins whose work with Blair on a flawless motormouth Southern accent is a notable achievement.
