Plug-In: A Night with Jean-Paul

A new and exciting play is coming to The Hope Street Theatre on the 27th-28th September, 2023. A Night With Jean-Paul reveals the aftermath of a ‘long and disappointing night at the Jean-Paul Baptiste theatre awards. Struggling Playwright Redmund and his toxic Actress wife Sylvia come home empty handed. With the drink flowing and the insults flying, Sylvia invites Bert Adams around for a night cap, a national treasure and winner of best playwright. In retaliation Redmund invites Cressida Philips, winner of Best Actress and Sylvia's arch-enemy. The evening is far from over.’

As per usual, The Creative Wire got behind the scenes with creators Zara Brown and Rachel Howard Inspiration has been taken from creations such as ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ and ‘Abigail's Party’ to devise a play that is situated in one setting and suffocates characters within a tense plot. Originally, the creators wanted to write a dark comedy of a husband and wife, both with the identical motive to kill each other. After thinking deeply into the creative industry and the value of art, the creators believe the plot needed to become something of more artistic intent.

We further explored the theme of art and its value, enticing the message of commentary from the creators. This is what they revealed:

“I think we live in a world where everything has to be relevant and have meaning, art is now valued by how popular it is or how many awards the project has won. Creatives can sometimes value their work by the good or bad reviews. With this in mind, I hope audiences will take away the value of art for art's sake and appreciate it for what it is. You shouldnt regard a piece of art in its popularity as a sign of genius.”

A Night with Jean-Paul draws inspiration from classic films with references indicative of the famous feud between Bette Davis’s and Joan Crawford. Subtle references like Fellini’s La Dolce Vita’ surfaces as innocent recollections from one character. The creatives have told us that the play ‘draws parallels to this dark film, such as the disturbing x-ray of the untouchable, warped culture of the elite and the tragedy that awaits them’. A naturalistic approach has been taken with this production, performed and presented in its bare entirety. Gone are the usual transitions and effects and is ‘almost operatic with crescendos and decrescendos throughout’.

This interesting comedy is set in the modern day, yet ‘screams old Hollywood/classic film’ due to its stylistic comedic features. The realistic timeline reveals the chaos without fast forwarding, pausing or back tracking. The creatives describe the play as a ‘love letter’ to the old era that should propose a nostalgic energy from start to finish, making it a must-see for theatregoers in the area.

The chemistry between the actors has elevated the script to a new level, creating light and shade between dialogue. They have uncovered humour in lines the creatives wouldn’t have imagined themselves. Rehearsals for the process have been entertaining, comical and rewarding; something they hope the audience will experience on the 27th - 28th September.

Finally, we asked the creatives what their hopes and expectations are for the audience’s reaction to the performance and what will they take away with them. This is what they said:

“I hope the audience walks away being thoroughly entertained. However I also want them to reflect on what it means to be an artist and to create work. How ego and competition can get in the way of why we create art in the first place! And how important it is to find other creatives to support and inspire you, let go of the rivalry and focus on creating something bigger than yourself.”

The performances of A Night with Jean-Paul is not to be missed. It is a commentary of the world in which us artists are consumed by. Bring your September to a close with this intense, yet hilarious artistic deep dive.

written by, Grace Morrison