Christ Almighty: A Comedy of Biblical Proportions @ Seymour Centre 14th September 2023
Reviewed by Elliott Wallace
Sydney Fringe is in full swing, and I was delighted to be invited along to the opening night of Christ Almighty: A Comedy of Biblical Proportions, located at the Seymour Centre. Directed and written by Tommy James Green, the show tells the story of Jesus Christ, the disciples, and the rest of the nativity crew, with a NSFW twist.
I am known by my family and friends to be very critical of theatre productions and such I was looking forward to having my own Simon Cowell moment when reviewing this production, however, this didn’t exactly come to fruition due to the brilliant performance. Have a read of my thoughts of the show, a TLDR is also featured right at the end of the post.
The very first opening minutes of the show began with cliché song and dance paired with opening night rustiness from both actors and the music department, a difficulty to hear the actors sing was noted despite sitting at the front of the theatre. This was swiftly improved and after the first 5 minutes or so, the sound boffins above the stage had worked their magic to balance each component of the audio, from here on in the show was utterly engaging and on point.
Tommy Green has crafted a script in such a manner that the socio-political satire thematic was quickly established with quirky comedic quotes dropped throughout the start of the first scene. The dialogue between characters seamlessly shifted between a friendly comedic feel and a tongue in cheek approach, this seesaw of humour was contributed to by each performer, for this kudos is earnt. Certain quotes and references had the audience in stitches, for me my favourites were Jospeh “has a dick like a stalagmite” and “that was rather Old Testament of me” by Jeeves Verma who played God.
I feel that a specific shoutout discussing the performance of Jeeves Verma is deserved, playing God the scope for belly laugh provocation was always going to be immense, and indeed it was. From the rather homo-erotic portrayal to the possession of a mobile phone, and the simple yet effective quote of “oh my… me”, the character of God was the first standout performance of the show.
As the scenes progress the presence of King Herod, enacted by James Hartley, captivates the audience with his immensely camp character, contradicting the stereotypical evil King character that many of us picture. Herod’s servant complimented Hartley’s stage dominance with his Hobbit-like stature. It is in this way, amongst others, the upbeat nature of the characters ties audience and performers as one through the mutual sense of enjoying their evening.
In an age where all must be politically correct, it truly was a breath of fresh air to enjoy an evening that was not dictated by what is and isn’t snowflake friendly, the script was not afraid to poke fun at any demographic. It has the hallmarks of a performance of a year gone by and that is meant in the most complimentary of ways.
Within this talented cast lies a couple of other stand-out performances that must be mentioned, Emma Flynn’s portrayal as Jesus’ prostitute love interest was alluring throughout, Rosie Meader’s embodiment of Judas left me thinking “she seems like jolly good fun” and the dominating stage presence of Abigail Dixon who held numerous roles deserved a more prominent role in the show. Finally, reviewing a show about Jesus cannot overlook the main man, the mix of acrobatic brilliance, a west-end worthy singing voice and a fantastic ability to engage with the audience highlights why Giuseppe Rotondella was cast as the lead – well, that or his Jesus like beard!
Immerse yourself in this warm, feel-good comedy, where the wonderfully gifted performers demonstrate their craftmanship and highlight the need for the arts industry in society. The story is one we all know but told in a way that none could foretell. The synchronicity between cast, crew and composers was shown throughout the show but emphasised when I spoke to Green after the show; “despite there being lots of moving parts between myself, the band and the actors, a brilliant job has [been] done by all (…) to tie it all together (…) and it will only get better, as an opening show it was very good, but [will] only get tighter”. A promise that with each show improvements can and will be made.
TLDR; After a cliché opening, the show ramped up with writer Tommy Green’s NSFW comedic wit infused throughout. If you think you have seen enough nativity plays, you would be wrong, this version is like nothing you have watched before.
You too can watch this brilliant performance in the Reginald Theatre, found at the Seymore Centre, for more information and tickets click here.