Jerusalem: use of performance space

Staging and Scenic Design

‘Jerusalem’ is typically staged in a proscenium theatre, which provides a classic and realistic vibe suitable for the realistic setting of the play.
The design of Johnny’s caravan, replete with its debris, clutter, and worn-out charm, immerses the audience in the world of the story.
The surrounding woods further enhance the rural environment, materialising the struggle between man and nature.
The onstage toilet and other surprising elements generate a raw and crude atmosphere which intensifies the rawness of Johnny’s lifestyle.

This play differs from others in that it uses numerous props that portray aspects of the characters’ lives, particularly Johnny’s.
Items such as the gold medal, the drum kit, and May’s crown serve as motifs and show the aspects of characters’ pasts and ambitions.
Props are often used interactively in the narrative, transforming the stage into a very real and three-dimensional world for audiences to invest in.

The characters’ movements and their interaction with the setting portray their status, personality and attitudes.
Johnny, as the main character, claims most of the stage with his broad movements and energetic performances, dominating the space in parallel with his dominant presence in the narrative.
Other characters’ interactions also denote their status and relationship with Johnny and each other, underlining divisions and alignments.

In ‘Jerusalem’, the forest and the caravan are liminal spaces, places that function outside of society’s norms and rules, exemplifying the characters’ marginalised status.
The encroachment of the authorities into the woodland indicates the impending invasion of the pastoral by the urban, which can be seen as an allegory of societal progression and displacement.
The physical bounding of the stage space prefigures the imminent confinement of Johnny and the diminishing of such fringe spaces from mainstream society.