Performed
at the Vaudeville Theatre, London
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The Book of Mormon has taught us anything, it’s that even the most vulgar
comedy can hit the mark when the jokes are good enough, and the message behind
them is compelling. So when the blasphemous Broadway hit Hand to God came to
the UK, audiences were anticipating a similar standard. However, while this
play is foul-mouthed and irreverent, it fails to fully tap into the potential
of its provocative premise – instead, we are presented with a fairly unrefined
play, featuring a series of mediocre gags.
Hand
to God is set in a Fundamentalist Lutheran ministry in Texas, where teenagers
are taught to put on Christian sock puppet shows by the recently widowed
Margery (Janie Dee), in the church’s basement. The disinterested members of the
class are the unruly Timothy, (Kevin Mains) the geeky Jessica (Jemima Rooper)
and Margery’s introverted son, Jason (Harry Melling). The trouble begins when Jason’s
beloved puppet Tyrone becomes apparently possessed by Satan and takes on a life
of its own. The puppets, which become characters in their own right, are
designed by Marte Ekhougen. While they evoke Sesame Street, they appear hand-knitted
and have buttons for eyes. Beowulf Boritt’s set design is simple and naturalistic,
but undergoes a satanic makeover after Tyrone takes over.
This
is the first play written by Texan Robert Askins, and it was patently inspired
by his own experience – his mother actually ran a Christian puppet ministry. The
play is directed by New York based Moritz von Stuelpnagel, and Hand to God
marks his West End debut.
While
Askins’ script delivers its fair share of childish gags, there is a modicum of
depth beneath – themes of religious sexual repression and personal
responsibility shine through. All of the actors provide energetic performances.
Melling’s schizophrenic portrayal of Jason and his evil puppet counterpart is one
of highlights of the show. Melling is known to Harry Potter film fans as
playing Harry’s obese cousin, Dudley – but he has since shed the pounds. Dee’s
ability also stands out. The scenes between Margery and Pastor Greg (Neil
Pearson) are often compellingly funny and her kinky sexual awakening with the
boisterous Timothy is played with tremendous zeal. Dee is most well-known for
the rather more highbrow. She most recently starred in an adaptation of Chekov’s
play, The Seagull. Unfortunately, all this acting talent couldn’t make up for the
shortcomings of the script.
As
a play involving religious lampooning and puppets, we impulsively draw
comparisons to The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. It seems that Hand to God is an
attempt to emulate the success of these plays – yet, it simply isn’t as funny.
While it does have its moments, Hand to God’s humour never progresses to the
absurd heights or razor-sharp satire of its contemporaries. Instead, we are
offered a gratuitously extended puppet sex scene – which wasn’t that funny to
begin with – and a shoehorned moral message that is never fully developed. The
lesson we are supposed to take away from the piece is delivered in the form of
two monologues delivered by our demonic puppet, which sandwich the play. It is
perhaps telling of the shortcomings of the script that this exposition was
deemed necessary.
With
subject matter like this, it’s hard not to be controversial, but one gets the
impression that Askins thinks his script is a lot more edgy than it actually
is. Clearly, this is a production firmly aimed at a younger audience, and while
there is nothing wrong with that, it runs the risk of condescending to them.
Crude humour is a rather cheap strategy for engaging with the youngsters, and
while Hand to God was not without its message – the importance of accepting who
you are and taking responsibility for your actions – it would have been more
ambitious to speak these wisdoms through a mouthpiece less unmoving.
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