29 March – 13 April
This is the first production of a Living Spit show since the sad death of co-founder Howard Coggins who together with Stu Mcloughlin had worked on eighteen hilarious shows since 2012.
Howard’s ultimate wish was that the company carry on and after director Craig Edwards filled in on a few shows, Stu is now joined by Beverly Rudd and Peta Maurice. Each one of the previous topics chosen has been subject to an irreverent, profane, or just plain rude treatment. Indeed, publicity for The Passion of Living Spit carries a warning that the it contains depictions of a religious story which some may find offensive – as well as some terrible puns. And that is exactly what most of the audience have come for.
Beverley Rudd plays the main character, a certain Jesus H Christ, with a laddish, almost naïve yet charismatic presence. She oozes infectious energy, much like He must have done, and leads us through a wide range of game shows, stand-up routines and side-splitting songs about recruiting disciples and other nonsense in the Holy Land. There is of course, a healthy smattering of smut and a heavy dose of innuendo, including a debate about whether Jesus arrived on a donkey or was involved in a sexual union with one.
Peta Maurice plays Mary Magdalene, who the other disciples learn not to call a prostitute, but a sex-worker, as well as bad boy Judas among other characters. She has a beautifully melodious singing voice and in the opening scene with Mcloughlin angelically heralds in the Easter story.
What follows over the next ninety minutes is a romp through a series of outlandish jokes, set pieces and ridiculously dodgy characterisations, with the odd crucifixion gag thrown in. There are also running gags about George Michael, Indian cuisine and whether a mirror or a large bag was used by Jesus to make sufficient loaves and fishes to feed the five thousand. Mcloughlin performs to his usual high standard with an unforgettably shameless hawker of Jesus memorabilia in the temple as well as a Welsh accented High Priest of the Pharisees who sings ‘Come by here, my Lord’ to the tune of ‘Kumbaya’.
Using only a bare flat behind which the performers change, the trio perform wonders of impersonation conjuring up the Last Supper, a show trial with a character called Poncho Pilot and a reprise of the magnificently potty-mouthed psychopath Herod last seen in Living Spit’s Nativity.
Living Spit’s charm has always been their ability to mess about with the most extremely crude and outrageous material imaginable, but in a way that only the hardest hearts could resist. And they triumph again. The ingredients may have changed, but the audience still shrieks with delight at what is served up. As they intone, ‘Our father, who art in heaven, Howard be thy name’ He must surely be laughing along with them from somewhere.
★★★★★ Bryan Mason, 3 April 2024
Photo credit: Paul Groom
