Christ Almighty – A Comedy of Biblical Proportions

If laughter is the best medicine, then the cast of Christ Almighty - A Comedy of Biblical Proportions measure it out plentifully in this funny irreverent musical satire. Reprising his 2023 performance, Giuseppe Rotondella as a “millennial Jesus” leads a group of “pseudo-revolutionary students and a sex worker” through Jerusalem in an irreligious romp of both biblical proportions and distortions!

Called upon by a magnanimous and sardonic God (played by Brenton James), Jesus leaves the comfort of his parents’ couch to find his tribe and sort out the “ruthless Romans” and profiteering priests who are jeopardising Jerusalem. They do so in a collection of saucy, satirical songs, sassy asides and creative choreography.

Tommy James Green’s re-telling of the apostles’ tales is clever. He merges scriptural and contemporary language and allusions in witty dialogue … and lyrics that are cleverly sequenced in an eclectic collection of tunes composed by Gianna Cheung and Jeremy Kindl. (Unfortunately, there are moments when those clever words are overpowered by the music).

Despite the irreverence that is portrayed – a snivelling, alcoholic John the Baptist (Simon Lee) and some extra cheeky centurions led by Daniel Moxham (who also plays Joseph) – there are “Introspective” moments where this millennial Jesus reflects that he “should have stuck to carpentry” rather than trying to appease “too many people” and being “so scared I sold you all a lie”.

Rotondella leads his followers using his “super powers” to cure the sick and feed the hungry before being captured at dinner with his disciples represented by Isaac Broadbent, Tori Bullard and Mangas Bounlutay and condemned and crucified by a hedonist Herod (James Hartley), a shifty Pharisee (James Burchett) and a pompous Pontia Pilates (Babette Shaw).

The women in his life, Mother Mary (Jacqui Duncan) and Mary Magdalene (Emma Flynn) welcome his resurrection and with the whole cast support him in his “Introspective Song”.

Director Miriam Rihani uses the unusual Fight Path stage judiciously. She lets Jessica Green’s the religious picture book-style backdrop and three curtained entrances set the Middle Eastern scene. This allows space for simple but effective blocking and for choreographer Sarah Friedrich to take the whole cast through some fast routines.

Rihani has created some special moments in this production such as a delightful freeze of The Last Supper broken with excellent timing by a surprised look and the words “Is he painting us?”

The production is peppered by excellent little asides such as that – but you have to listen carefully and know (or remember) your bible and a bit about religious customs and traditions to pick them up in the fast pace that is essential for irreverent humour such as this to work effectively.

Carol Wimmer