NotMoses - a blog from the play's creator
Published: Sunday 27th March 2016
'NotMoses' is a comic play currently in the West End, written and directed by filmmaker Gary Sinyor. Set in Ancient Egypt, it tells the story of a crying baby who is plucked from his basket by a Princess only to be dumped back in the Nile when she sees a nicer baby, Moses. NotMoses grows up a disgruntled slave whilst Prince Moses studies accountancy at Pharaoh's court. Here, Sinyor gives us an update on how the show is going...
We're now well into the run of my first play NotMoses and I'm still trying to work out who enjoys it the most. One theatre critic said it had enough jokes to keep Roy Chubby Brown going for a decade. Yes, there is some puerile humour in there, in case anyone found Bottom funny. And there are Jewish gags in there, in case anyone found Mel Brooks funny. It's been compared to Up Pompeii, The Producers and Plebs, in case anyone found them funny too. And there's some religious satire in case anyone liked Life Of Brian. That's not to say that I think it's as good as some of the best comedy ever produced, but I did aim to make it so. Thank goodness for those reviewers who agreed and gave it 4 stars, calling it 'eye-wateringly funny'.
There is however one audience that seems to come along night after night and laugh uproariously. Curiously, it' not the older Jewish audience who I thought would turn up in droves but a young comedy-going crowd, the kind of people who go to stand-up comedy gigs and who, though they may not get all of the nuances, love to see farce. Women with beards, camp taskmasters, a princess who needs a good coming in unto, and a dim clergyman draw some of the biggest laughs - aided by some spectacular sets of Ancient Egypt. My guess is that it's the younger generation who are most at ease with laughing at the Bible stories. They come with less religious baggage than a generation ago.
Trying to condense what was originally a film starring 600,000 people into a play with a cast of 9 was relatively easy. It's amazing what you can do with projection and sound. Parting the red sea on stage was more of a challenge, but my favourite challenge was probably solving the question of the plague of frogs. Insist on a seat in the first 6 rows in the stalls and you'll find out what I mean!
The cast are uniformly brilliant. They exude supreme confidence on stage. I've given some license to improvise now that they're clear where the laughs are. Dana Haqjoo takes particular delight in re-inventing every night a different ridiculous plague in a brazen attempt to get the others to corpse. Why not? Part of the enjoyment of live comedy is surely to see the performers enjoying themselves. This is my first play and I'm lucky to have found such a supportive Company.
As I write this, the news is full of the events in Brussels. I'm sorry to say it - nervous even - but the play does have a point and it may go over some people's heads. The God in NotMoses (and yes he is there) is contrary, incoherent, occasionally vicious and, within the play, anyone who follows his every blindly may as well listen to L Ron Hubbard.
At times like these, we all, humanity a whole, need to laugh at the Big Guy and pick those things in any religion that give a moral compass, or comfort, whilst rejecting the extremes.
Point made? Great. Back to Moses making kebabs on the Burning Bush...
NotMoses continues at the Arts Theatre, booking until 14th May. Find out more: notmosesonstage.com
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