Dark Mysteries
Stage Play by Alex Jones.
Play Synopsis and Sample Scenes are available for this play (right-click) :
Download
Play Synopsis
The Dark Mysteries - a contemporary take on the Medieval Mystery Play: It’s payback time for God; the planet he created is plagued by global warming, wars and corruption. And so he sends his only begotten daughter to take revenge. No longer the ‘good shepherd’, this teenage girl has attitude; she’s recruiting disciples – if you’re up for carnage and mayhem, you’re in! Inspired by the new age gospel of revenge and retribution they follow the Christ child on a mission to teach the world a lesson… it’s going to be risky and for some people very painful. A dystopian future where global warming is making its mark and social upheaval gives way to England’s first fascist government. God decides it’s time to sort the mess out, and so sends his only daughter to wreak havoc and deliver the new age gospel of revenge and retribution – ‘Blessed are the angry and pissed off for they will save the world.’ The Bible rewritten for a world in torment, standing at the very precipice of destruction.Commission for final year East 15 drama students showcase production and directed by Shane Dempsey in January 2014
Images
http://alex-jones.org/dark-mysteries.html#sigProIda0b9768ea8
Reviews
Play Reviews:
The World Style & Structure Any other comments/recommendations I couldn’t stop thinking that there were times when the scale of this felt more film than theatre, or even perhaps a graphic novel. As always you take some massive ideas and are fearless in tackling them in your playwriting.Comments from Sharon Clarke, former literary manager of Bristol Old Vic…
The impending doom of your near future world certainly gave this piece tension and aggression and the contemporary references were chilling as we realised that this isn’t a million miles away from where we are right now. You got us into this world extremely fast…. I understood the rules right away and this was exciting.
The ensemble nature gave this piece a real strength and visually I think it could look epic and stunning. The opening has real impact with the disciples and then the government but maybe it stayed just a tad too long in drawing the picture for us of just how messed everything is and how badly society had broken down. There is quite a bit of exposition (such as page 15) and sometimes this meant that information was given to us twice (the issue of the family not having a passport).
This is a really brave and bold piece of writing with some colossal ideas that I really admired. The voice of Gabriel and his side-kick are inventive, unusual and unexpected and so really engaging. I think maybe there is a leaner more economical draft that could be done which would give the piece even more visceral impact.
