8 May 2015. Everyman at the National Theatre

I thoroughly recommend it. It will sound pure gloom when I describe it but it is a fantastic production by the new director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris.



The play features God, death and Everyman and confronts the audience with how we would account for our lives if called upon to do so when the grim reaper pays the inevitable visit. The character, Everyman, has led a life of materialism and pleasure and looks back on himself as a child and realises he might have led a life more dictated by his soul. The production is fast moving and high energy with some great theatre.

The text is a new rendition by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy of a fifteenth century original. At issue is squandering one's time rather than doing Good Deeds.Faced with the early call by Death, Everyman is left scrabbling around for unforthcoming help by friends, possessions and family before making his confession and connecting with his soul. 

Everyman is played with great energy by Chiwetel Ejifor who made a complementary triangle with the long suffering God (Kate Duchene) and the gallows humour of Death (Dermot Crowley)

I bought the text afterwards and reading it helped fill in the gaps of what I hadn't taken in on the night. I'd definitely go again.