Mojo

Synopsis

The Atlantic Nightclub, Soho

Silver Johnny stands alone, the pulsating beats of rock ‘n’ roll thundering from the club below, his presence magnetic and electric, like a boxer ready to strike. Jez Butterworth’s “Mojo” catapults us into the seedy underworld of 1950s Soho, where ambition, betrayal, and raw power dictate the rhythm of life. The play opens in the Atlantic club, a gritty den owned by Ezra, where young, charismatic Silver Johnny is the star attraction. But the glamour is a thin veil over the violence simmering beneath.

The narrative unfolds with Ezra’s brutal murder, setting off a power struggle that ensnares the club’s employees: the volatile Baby, the loyal yet paranoid Sweets, the pragmatic Potts, the naive Skinny, and the menacing Mickey. As the characters grapple with fear and ambition, the club becomes a pressure cooker of tension and dark humour. Baby, driven by a toxic blend of ambition and revenge, seeks to assert dominance, while Sweets and Potts scramble to navigate the shifting allegiances and escalating threats. The play’s rapid-fire dialogue and intense confrontations paint a vivid picture of a world where loyalty is fleeting, and survival hinges on ruthlessness.