Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (reviewed Saturday 14 June 2025).
Whether you’re a Christian or an atheist or somewhere in between, there’s plenty to chuckle about Christ Almighty: A Comedy of Biblical Proportions, a new age musical presented by Popular Playhouse with books and lyrics written by TOMMY JAMES GREEN.
Comparisons to Life of Brian and Jesus Christ Superstar are inevitable; it has the ham delivery of the former with the powerful chemistry of the other. The exact tone is a bit elusive to place, but my takeaway from it is that the intention is not alienating or offensive; Jesus is respectfully embodied as an ordinary bloke with human flaws reluctantly undertaking a crusade to save humanity from its own destruction. Divine intervention plays its part. The self-righteous, oppressive forces of the Pharisees and the Romans has resonance to contemporary world events (alas! 2000+ years and not much has changed!)
In saying that, it’s curious that the play on one level raises the stakes according to the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but then waters down Jesus’ betrayal and persecution into feel-good Disney; granted it’s a comedy so it’s not meant to be Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, yet the cool lyrics are buried in a shower of music. I did catch this line which I thought got at the heart of the play’s key message:
“Don’t be a d!ck, don’t be a w*nker / whether you’re an artist, or a banker.”
The theme of spiritual integrity comes across consistently in this play, but be mindful, it is full of potty-mouthed smut humour and less PG-friendly than say, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The audience at Flight Path Theatre in Marrickville totally embraced it with lots of applause and laughter.
One of the many enjoyable aspects of this show is the superb acting and sharply observed characters in both a classical and contemporary context.
GIUSEPPE ROTONDELLA as Jesus Christ is as typically Middle-Eastern looking as you would expect, and dare we say, quite handsome. GIUSEPPE captures Jesus’ calm aura and salubrious masculinity whilst being an unassuming 30-something bloke who still lives at home with his parents. This humorous insight creates a bridge between sanctified Jesus and modern Jesus as we might know him today. GIUSEPPE pulls out some cool dance moves reminiscent of this clip from Superstar.
Jesus’ friendship with Mary Magdalene, a ‘prozzie’ or sex-worker, is explored in depth. Magdalene provides a voice to the marginalised and is wonderfully played by EMMA FLYNN with conviction. Magdalene stands for strong, egalitarian values, and her implied romantic feelings towards Jesus remains platonic, coming across as sweet, friendly, and heartwarming.
ISAAC BROADBENT plays Peter, an ambitious reporter always out for a good story. The play omits Peter’s denial of Jesus, a gut-wrenching moment in the Bible, but the characterisation of Peter’s journo instincts, later turning into a publicist for Jesus and his many followers, is excellent.
JACQUI DUNCAN gets the audience laughing as Mother Mary, a salt-of-the-earth woman with a distinct nasal Aussie-twang. Mary’s husband Joseph played by DANIEL MOXHAM is a meat-and-potatoes sort of guy, a carpenter tradie with a chip on his shoulder about who exactly Jesus’ father is. God makes an appearance in the form of BRENTON AMIES who isn’t above putting a famine on callers from third-world countries. The interplay of these characters could have done with some tightening of the script, but the ideas are fun to play with and each actor fully commits.
JAMES HARTLEY really sells the role of King Herod, a despot with a fetish for new toys and strange, exotic men. King Herod rules like a diabolical, diapered man-baby, with steely shades of Caligula and Kim Jung Un.
Also terrifying is BABETTE SHAW as Pontia Pilates (Pontius Pilate), the tyrannical Roman leader who makes Herod look like a coward in comparison. BABETTE serves the role like ice-cubes down one’s back.
SIMON LEE plays John the Baptist, a drunk, bedraggled prophesier of the future King of the Jews. John the Baptist had a rather grisly end in the Bible, so purists eager for that ending might feel a little cheated (barbarians!!!!). Grisly ending or not, SIMON delivers the role with great thespian skill.
JAMES BURCHETT is the black-robed High Priest with all the ‘frighteousness’ that Jesus rebuked. These kind of men always seem so menacing and radical in their religious ideology, but JAMES delivers an authentic, austere performance while mocking his character’s weakness with irreverent humour.
MANGAS BOUNLUTAY plays Quintus, a sassy Roman sentry who is converted after seeing all the cool stuff Jesus can do. MANGAS is gifted with colourful, preppy dialogue and the limelight loves him back.
Last but not least, TORI BULLARD plays the role of Judas, a role that opens up so many fantastic possibilities. And of course, Playhouse Productions goes for something totally unexpected. No more spoilers, but we loved TORI‘s performance.
Costume hire from various providers with costume design from DENISE TART deserves a massive shout out. The flowing fabric, the swathes of red, the accents of gold and of course the accessories – helmets, weapons and sandals, not only brings the Biblical setting to life, but gives the actors wonderful transformation and excitement to play their characters.
The production values are high, and Popular Playhouse have taken risks to deliver something subversive, accessible and unique in our understanding of Jesus’ incredible career bio, and the role religion might play in actually bringing people together.
Christ Almighty: A Comedy of Biblical Proportions is playing at Flight Path Theatre in Marrickville til Sat 21 June. For tickets and showtimes, go to https://www.flightpaththeatre.org/whats-on/christ-almighty-a-comedy-of-biblical-proportions
CREDITS:
Images by OTHNIEL MANI
| PRODUCTION | |
| TOMMY JAMES GREEN | Book & Lyrics/Producer/Fight Choreographer |
| GIANNA CHEUNG | Composer |
| JEREMY KINDL | Composer/Musical Director |
| MIRIAM RIHANI | Director |
| ISAAC DOWNEY | Producer |
| SARAH FRIEDRICH | Choreographer |
| KYLE STEPHENS | Sound & Lighting Design |
| DENISE TART | Costume Design |
| JESSICA GREEN | Set Design & Construction |
| MARIE HAGEN | Props |
| OTHNIEL MANI | Marketing/Graphics |
| LUCY KOSCHEL | Assistant Director |
| WILL SCOUGAL | Stage Manager |
| MITCH JOHN | Technical Assistant/Operator |
| NISHKA SUMANTH | Wardrobe Assistant |
| ALICE TERRY | “Homophobes Are Gay” Additional Music & Lyrics |
| RICK BUTLER | Guitar |
| HAYDEN MARKHAM-BALL | Drums |
| ABIGAIL DIXON | Singing Coach |
| ROSS ARGENT | Set Construction |
| Lochie Beh, Timothy Bishop, Trent Gardiner, David Green, Judith Hoddinott | Special Thanks |
| Paul Andersen, Annie Davey, James Shepherd, Lane Cove Theatre Company, Newtown High School of the Performing Arts | Costume Hire |
| CAST | |
| GIUSEPPE ROTONDELLA | Jesus Christ |
| EMMA FLYNN | Mary Magdalene |
| ISAAC BROADBENT | Peter |
| TORI BULLARD | Judas |
| JACQUI DUNCAN | Mother Mary |
| DANIEL MOXHAM | Joseph/Centurion |
| JAMES HARTLEY | King Herod |
| JAMES BURCHETT | High Priest |
| BABETTE SHAW | Pontia Pilates/Thomas |
| SIMON LEE | John the Baptist |
| MANGAS BOUNLUTAY | Quintus/Sodomite |
| BRENTON AMIES | God |