When the audience walks into the auditorium of the West Yorkshire Playhouse they are confronted by an old man wearing pyjamas lying on a bed, to either side of him are grand pianos and in the background is a grey brick wall onto which is projected a moving image of the man on the bed. The man is in a coma and is about to die, his name is Robert Johnson and he is played superbly throughout this production by Patrick Stewart.
This surreal production has everything; great scenery designed by Rae Smith which allows the actors to be part of the whole, and real direction by Jude Kelly, who really knows where she is going with this production. Of course none of this would be possible without the author J B Priestley, who in real life is confronted with what was obviously worrying him — what happens to him when he dies. The whole play is an investigation of his life, which starts with Johnson wanting the money he has saved so that he can enjoy himself doing the things he suppressed and denied himself when he was alive. He rushes headlong into what he thought he wanted only to find that his conscience has a strange hold on him. This is a play to go to watch, think about and should not have all its secrets disclosed beforehand. One hundred minutes of an ordinary man’s life which proves to be anything but ordinary. The play floats before the audience like a dream in no time at all.
The cast of actors adds to this adventure and should be mentioned by name if not by character, for they all contribute to the whole without which the lead actor could not function to give such a performance. Nicholas Blane, Ken Bradshaw, Clare Burt, Avril Clark, Charlie Hayes, Jeanne Hepple, Bernard Lloyd, Simon Quartermain, and Daniel Stewart make this production for an appreciative audience a memorable experience. Emma Garner and Sarah Collins make those grand pianos part of this play. A superb effort by all.
I fear that this will be a short lived production, but it should not be left unplayed. This is a rare piece of theatre and all those who missed this production of “Johnson over Jordan” will have missed one of life’s real pleasures. The most exciting thing in years. © BA
“Johnson over Jordan” is in Leeds from the 24 August to the 29 September, 2001.
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