When it comes to choosing West End shows, we are undoubtedly looking out for the ones that stand out amongst the crowd and as a result, unique renditions of popular productions are always worth a look in. This is why the upcoming production of “Jesus Hopped the A Train” is a must-see as it is a Laurence Olivier Award-nominated show given a new lease of life by the Synergy Theatre Company, with professional actors appearing alongside ex-prisoners.
It is arriving at Trafalgar Studios 2 this April with the Artistic Director of the Synergy Theatre Company, Esther Baker, at the helm. It is likely to be a passionate and moving portrayal of a classic story originally penned by playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis a decade ago.
The Synergy Theatre Company is no stranger to working with those on the edge of the law. They seek to help in the rehabilitation of prisoners, ex-prisoners and even those of a younger age who are felt to be ‘at risk’ by providing them with acting workshops, playwrighting workshops and ways of becoming involved in radio and television. Their shows are then staged in theatres and prisons across the capital.
With their upcoming production, they have chosen a decidedly apt story in “Jesus Hopped the A Train”. Set on Rikers Island in New York, it is the story of two criminals struggling within the American prison system. One of them is the impressionable Angel and the other is the serial killer Lucius, but whilst the pair are haunted by their actions in the past, God watches over them as the brutal prison system shows them little mercy.
Writer Adly Guirgis is behind a number of plays that have appeared on stages in New York and in the UK. He is the co-Artistic Director of the LAByrinth Theater Company whose credits include “The Motherf**ker with a Hat”, “The Little Flower of East Orange” and “Our Lady of 121st Street”.
He penned “Jesus Hopped the A Train” a decade ago and it had its world premiere in New York under the direction of Philip Seymour Hoffman, with John Ortiz, Salvatore Inzerillo and David Zayos in lead roles. Its success was felt on both sides of the Atlantic, earning critical praise Stateside and receiving the Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award alongside its Laurence Olivier Award nomination.
“Jesus Hopped the A Train” makes its appearance at Trafalgar Studios 2, starting Wednesday 7th April 2010 (previews from Tuesday 6th April 2010) and running until Saturday 24th April 2010.