Jerusalem Reviews

Michael Grant from Saratoga Springs, NY

JERUSALEM IS EXCEPTIONAL THEATRE

Don't be confused by the title--it's not a play about Zionism.  You'll find yourself lost for three crispy hours in an unwavering world of brutal and radiant humanity. Ian Rickson's direction feels natural and clean, but fully embedded with details and layers that made me want to see the show a second time and right away.  The cheeky dialogue is cunning, hilarious and wrenching.  Each moment of this play pulls at you, forcing you to question your own judgmental nature and moral compass while profound ideological battles rage.  Mark Rylance attacks and embodies Byron with an astonishing ferociousness and sensitivity that will undoubtedly garner him further deserved awards. If the ten-minute standing ovation was any indication, this show will win a spate of Tony Awards and it will undoubtedly join the canons of unparalleled and memorable Broadway theater. Don't miss it. Full review: http://nonwisdom.blogspot.com

C from New York

GO NOW WHILE YOU CAN STILL GET TICKETS

Rylance will win the Tony -- a truly unforgettable performance the likes of which you may not see again in your lifetime. The Music Box is a small house-- go NOW!

Barbara from Rochester New York

YOU'LL NEVER SEE BETTER!

Incredible theater experience (this comes from an old NY girl who went to school and worked in the city!) - Last minute first and second row seat, extreme right, for a party of six, turned out to be excellent. The performances, especially Mr. Rylance, were SUPERB! Memorable! Definitely not for kids.

Monilooch from New York

ASTONISHING

Francine is brain dead and doesn't belong in a theatre. Mark Rylance's artistry is beyond description. I have been very lucky to have seen the very finest the arts have to offer over the last 25 years and I have never ever heard or seen anything like the magic that man creates on stage. He is a force of nature and a true artistic genius. A word I never use unless is it absolutely warrented. DO NOT MISS IT.

Daniel Coo from Bradford, ON Canada

TRANSCENDENTALLY GOOD.

This is a great production of a great play. Through some kind of magic, playwright and cast and crew have squeezed the entire contemporary consciousness of a nation into a single play. You might wonder how the culture that gave us Shakespeare also gave us Benny Hill, or how The News of the World flourished when The Times, Telegraph and The Guardian were also available. Some of the answers are here in Jerusalem. This production will join the ranks of other milestones in modern theatre like The Cherry Orchard (with which it shares more than a few themes) A Streetcar Named Desire, Look Back in Anger, and the work of Havel, Stoppard and Fugard. Unforgettable theatre.

Paul from Miami

A STELLAR PERFORMANCE BY MARK RYLANCE

Although some are apparently quibbling with the play itself, the performance by Mark Rylance is truly one for the ages, reminiscent of Olivier in The Entertainer. I don't know what the previous review was referencing, but at the matinee Saturday June 4th, the standing ovation was thunderous and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any serious theatre lover.

Francine from Mill Valley, CA

WHAT A WASTE OF 3 HOURS

While the performances were fine/good, the story was nothing more than a way for Mark Ryland to go give several monologues. There was nothing really interesting about the characters and who were content with their uninspiring drug-motivated lives. Most characters were shallow, undeveloped, and I truly couldn't care if they lived or died by the end. Perhaps one of the more unmemorable plays for my sensibilities. I prefer plays with far more depth, development of characters and desire to see them evolve or devolve, especially in a 3 hour performance. I am really unsure what the big deal was about this play. From the lackluster applause at the end of the performance I saw, I am thinking I was not alone.

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