Above: (l-r) Brenton Amies as God, Guiseppe Rotondella as Jesus Christ and Jacqui Duncan as Mrs Mary Christ.
Turn Back O Man! Put down your tinnie and stone tablet tabloid. And get ye tout de suite from the Fountain Gate Shopping Centre to the Flight Path Theatre this month.
There, on the banks of the Jordan hails a new, followable prophet with tricks from Nazareth to pass any Aussie (false) Idol audition with flyin’ colours.
To sing in the sweet Jesus out of the occupiers, remind us that the status quo often needs to be sweeter to minority groups, the meek with murderous potential, the mildly addicted, the sex worker, the oddly dressed tradie and the maniacal new king this long weekend with a mummy complex.
Christ Almighty: A Comedy of Biblical Proportions is a a resurrected show from the 2023 Sydney Fringe that triple threats its way out of the holy hell we are still in during modern toimes to say ‘look at moie ploise Sharon’.
Above: Emma Flynn as Mary Magdalene and Guiseppe Rotondella as Jesus. Despite fine onstage chemistry, their characters never get together before Jesus takes the rap at Pontia Pilates suggestion and is crucified.
With a great book by undoubted talent Tommy James Green, with slick production by this miracle man and Isaac Downey, with music from local theatrical gods Gianna Cheung and Jeremy Kindl and a nicely discipled cast to director Miriam Rihani, this new show is a worthwhile testament to the morphing of the established into one hell of a good time.
Using the power of a strong belief in the musical to save our PC (and JC) superstar sensibilities, this show rockets along gloriously with solo cameo visions, tight tableaux, harsh Last Supper table talk and Christ-like accuracy of caricature and a bright, current liturgy of hectic, sick and fully sik lol moments for the faithful theatre crowds beneath the flight path.
This musical’s corny, clever updates to the Good Book know how to get the attention on modern followers. The performance is a page turner prophetic tale which can still resonate today when totes done right.
This local show’s irresistible, blasphemous, water-into-wine event succeeds with its hard working, cast. The show is here re-worked, nicely updated begs you pray witness its bonza ensemble beauty.
These beaut performances are haloed in lithe, miraculous energy in the warmth of this theatre space below the roaring heavens of the inner west flight path.
Come unto this place ye little children of the theatre and see a very sweet Jesus played by Guiseppe Rotondella. What a great guy, nicely decked out by one of many fabulous outfits onstage in this update of huge proportions from designer Denise Tart. The little pearler of a new-age brothel gatekeeper Mary Mag (here, biblical hero meets Men At Work) is edgily played by Emma Flynn.
Above: Early on in Judea Judas witnesses the gay stoning. Survivor is played with bleach-blonde wigged melodrama by Jacqui Duncan.
Jesus’ folks Mary and Joseph (Jacqui Duncan and Daniel Moxham) are a great couple of Christs anyone could go out drinking with.
Drunk John the Baptist (Simon Lee) is excellent, and quirky Herod in the showstopping hands of James Hartley has a You Tube or Insta clip god quality.
Here you will be apostled to a soap opera of a Son of God (the Lord as a laconic gem of casting in Brenton Amies from God’s country across the ‘dutch’ from ‘Sudney’).
Tori Bullard’s Judas on the edge of homely hell is a winner, as is Isaac Broadbent’s journo and disciple of a great magic wine, Peter.
Babette Shaw deserves many shining laurel wreaths for the svelte condescension gifted us during the portrayal of Pontia ‘Pilates’, and the not so easily stoned sodomite, Quintus or disciple characters brought to us by Mangus Bounlutay is also another character with significant promise within this joyous cast.
Above: the excited crowd at this show’s early gay stoning scene prior to Jesus changing their attitude and the lively performance of the number, ‘Homophobes Are Gay’.
The important, judgmentable, filmable finale is a tight piece of musical theatre that does the updated Judea justice. It rocks in our renovated Christian ears with a put-down-your sword message of human tolerance.
As during the earlier track added to this musical (the fine ‘Homophobes Are Gay’ written by Alice Terry and Tommy James Green) this finale is an anthem for now in the rich midst of a loaves and fishes cornucopia of musical styles.
With it we are sent forth to cope with this world having hearted heaps this show’s clever, contemporary, born-again sheen.
Take your bros and beatitudes along to this fun church before its final prayer. Youse will be well transubstantiated as it buys the most miserable soul for God.
Christ Almighty: A Comedy Of Biblical Proportions plays at Flight Path Theatre, Addison Rd Marrickville until June 21
