What does it say about society, what does it push outside?
In a short time, Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth has gained the reputation of a modern masterpiece. The play premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2009 and garnered praise from audiences and critics alike, who considered it one of the greatest performances of the 2000s.
The one-day play takes place in a small English town and the forest on its outskirts, where the protagonist Johnny Byron has settled in his caravan.
It’s St. George’s Day, the spring carnival, which a mixed crowd has gathered at Johnny’s house to celebrate. Meanwhile, elsewhere, the city authorities are gathering their forces to chase Johnny out of the forest he claims to be his own.
“Jerusalem highlights the age-old conflict between society and the individual and depicts the struggle for a freer humanity and a more imaginative life,” says director Pasi Lampela.
Mythical figure
Johnny, who is at the centre of the play, is a wanderer, a former killer and a skilled storyteller. He has built a myth about himself and his own personal history, the veracity of which no one can find out.
“Johnny is the king of fools, who has created his own story and sovereignty and has not bent to society’s norms and demands, which many take for granted,” Lampela says.
The peculiar character attracts people in difficult life situations, especially young people. They see Johnny’s company as an escape from their harsh everyday reality and resort to various questionable means to maintain their self-esteem. According to Lampela, the play defends the humanity of those living outside society, which makes it an empowering defense of humanity.
Johnny’s motley entourage includes a wide variety of characters from different age groups, ethnic and social backgrounds. “We will see amazing performances here, because the characters give the actors the opportunity to let loose,” says Lampela and is happy that the main role is played by Santeri Kinnunen.
“He is an actor who has been boiled in many broths and masters drama and comedy. Santer has great word processing skills and has seen enough life to be a believable Johnny.” The Tragedy of Freedom
From Lampela, Jerusalem depicts, above all, the tragedy of freedom, i.e. how difficult freedom has been made for people in today’s world.
Social media, commercial culture and modern working life limit people in a way that makes you constantly ask what is the point of all this. “The play coincides with this painful experience of losing something essential,” Lampela says.
As a theatre maker, he is interested in the dynamics that arise between the individual and society.
“When society exercises power over the individual, it reveals itself. In this case, it seems that power and capital have allied against individual freedom,” Lampela says.
However, he emphasizes that despite its social orientation, the play is also carnivalesque fun and contains a lot of merriment and festivities. “And at its core, Jerusalem is a touching story, as towards the end the comedy develops into something else.”
Text by Ida Henritius.