‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’

I’m sure we’ve all done something that we regret, something that we wish we could take back or at least have the chance to explain our actions. But when you betray Jesus Christ, the chances are you are not going to be granted such liberties as your day in court.

But Stephen Adly Giurgis wants to change this and give even the most damned of us a fair trial in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. After all, is eternal damnation a fair punishment for one ill-advised kiss? I certainly hope not…

Staged in the suitably atmospheric surroundings of Shoreditch’s St Leonard’s Church, we sit in traverse seating in the purgatorial courts as the long awaited trial of Judas Iscariot unfolds before us.

First directed and performed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in New York, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, here directed by Antony Law, still has a distinctly American feel, employing the brash courtroom drama approach as a host of famous figures from throughout history take to the stand. Proceedings are led by two over enthusiastic lawyers while poor Judas sits in a catatonic state beneath the judge’s dock, awaiting round two of his fate.

The story of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal is one of the most famous in history, the apostle that turned in Jesus in exchange for a few coins before hanging himself in despair – and now still firmly placed in modern lexicon to mean ‘generally nasty, devious person’.

One by one, we are introduced to famous faces ranging from Sigmund Freud and Mother Teresa to Mary Magdalene, Caiaphas the Elder and, of course, Satan himself. Using the character’s histories, personality traits and their relationship to religion and morality, everything is called into question to decide once and for all if Judas deserved such a punishment for his betrayal.

Lessons in humanity, love and forgiveness are presented in their many manifestations in the character’s testimonies, from a mother’s unconditional love of her son or the committed love of friends fighting for the same cause to politics and questions of mental health. It’s an interesting approach, drawing on characters, seemingly unconnected by time and circumstance, but all figures who have shaped our understanding of what we deem to be modern morality. Mother Teresa – good. Pontius Pilate – bad. But perhaps things aren’t always so black and white.

Despite verging a little too far on the side of melodrama at times, with shrill exclamations made all the more startling by the reverberations around the empty church, and the unavoidably purgatorial state induced after sitting on a pew for over two hours, Last Days is a thought-provoking piece of theatre. Presenting a wide range of characters and performances from the 14-strong cast, it fearlessly engages with some challenging ideas that will stay with you long after the final verdict is passed.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot is running until Sunday 19 May at:

St Leonard’s Church
Shoreditch High Street
Shoreditch
E1 6JN

Box office: 020 7487 0100