Jerusalem

Synopsis

West Country, England

Johnny “Rooster” Byron is a charismatic and defiant figure living in a caravan in a wooded area known as Rooster’s Copse, near the village of Flintock, Wiltshire. The play takes place on St. George’s Day, with Johnny facing eviction by the local council while being visited by a mix of local residents, including his son, rebellious teenagers, and his friends. The plot revolves around Johnny’s struggle against the societal forces trying to remove him from his land and his resistance to the encroaching modernisation and sanitisation of rural life. As the day progresses, Johnny’s interactions reveal his past glories and current troubles, culminating in a confrontation that questions the essence of English identity and heritage.

The play’s themes include resistance, mythology, and English identity. The tone is a mix of dark comedy and drama, with moments of lyrical beauty juxtaposed against raw, gritty dialogue. The style is naturalistic, with a strong sense of place and character, enhanced by Butterworth’s poetic language. The narrative is linear, following the events of a single day but enriched with stories and myths that Johnny recounts, blending the mundane with the mythical. The form is a three-act structure, each act delving deeper into Johnny’s character and the pressures he faces from the community and authorities.