‘Jawbone of an Ass’ veers dangerously close to being God-awful. Designed to be an ironic exposition of the hypocrisy of Christian America, the play focuses on two women who, despite being preoccupied with Jesus and baking, are embroiled in a series of affairs and the mysterious disappearance of the protagonist’s husband. Although the introduction of a Christian psychologist adds another level to this comic exploration, the jokes are often banal and predictable or, in the case of subtler attempts at humour, repeated to excess. Revelatory scenes towards the play’s climax come close to redeeming it, and are reminiscent of those used to great effect at the end of farces, but once again, the writing and performances fall short.
Hill Street Theatre, 5 – 29 Aug (not 10, 17, 24), 8.00pm (9.10pm), £7.50 – £10.00, fpp274.
tw rating 2/5
[kc]
Sections: by Katie Chapman - ED2011 Theatre Reviews - tw rating 2/5 | Tags: Hill Street Theatre, Mortimer Olive Productions, Remarkable Arts
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