Prophets, playing at the Roxy Boxy, arrives with impressive credentials. Written by up-and-coming Scottish playwright Jack MacGregor, directed by John Byrne Award recipient Fraser Scott, and produced by NTS Producing Fellow Leah Byrne, this trio of rising creatives is already making waves and tipped for great things. It was no surprise that the performance I attended was sold out.
This is a play about big ideas, tackling religion, cults, abuse, mental health, and the possibility of recovery, among other heavy themes. It starts simply enough: a researcher is visiting Saint John, an isolated, sparsely inhabited island on the other side of the world, and is greeted by one of the inhabitants. We watch their unsettling initial encounter and, as events play out over time, the researcher’s true motivation is gradually revealed. Their determination to expose the island’s extreme religious practices creates a tension that steadily ratchets up toward the ominous “Day of Paradise.”
The two actors completely own their characters. Rebecca Wilkie, playing Kerris, is intense, focused, and demands your undivided attention. Xander Cowan plays multiple roles flawlessly, physically embodying each character with precision. As Joe, the hapless island native, he is awkward, vulnerable, and eerily menacing, each accent spot on.
Emma Moran’s set is striking: a white tarpaulin is hung up as a backdrop over a floor covered in a pool of black grit, which creates a lovely crunch when walked on. The lighting design is equally clever, using just a torch to flood a face in red light or lay on the floor to highlight the grit. It’s so effective.
Prophets feels like a huge story that is just too big in scope for only a pair of actors to convey. It hints at a bigger world that would benefit from additional characters to flesh it out. When the inevitable tragedy unfolds, the impact is muted because we never actually get to know the other islanders involved so it’s hard to feel fully invested in their grim fate.
Given its stellar pedigree, Prophets is bound to do well. I’d still highly recommend this strong drama; however, squeezing such vast themes, complex character arcs, and high-stakes events into an hour leaves parts of the play feeling slightly rushed and underdeveloped. If it ever evolves into a full-length script with an expanded cast to enrich its world, I would definitely be right in the middle of that audience.
Listings and ticket information can be found hereÂ
