The Colorful Life of John Jones: A Missed Theatrical Opportunity
The tale of John Jones is one ripe for the stage, filled with bold exploits and adventures that seem almost too incredible to be true. Known by many names— the Welsh Houdini, Little Turpin, and Coch Bach y Bala (the Little Redhead of Bala)—Jones was a notorious figure from North Wales renowned for his remarkable knack for evading capture. By the time of his death in 1913, he had become a legendary figure, his life story etched with the marks of a true renegade.
It’s disappointing, then, that Chris Ashworth-Bennion’s first play, transitioning from his career as a theatre critic to that of a playwright, doesn’t fully capture the essence of Jones’s mythic life. Set in a pub, the play introduces us to Jones (played by Simon Holland Roberts) as he regales the patrons with tales of his past exploits, having just escaped from prison. The stories he spins are grand, painting him as a hero of sorts, but they beg the question: are these tales fabricated? Is Jones merely a criminal, or is he something more akin to a revolutionary?
A Play of Uncertain Tone and Missed Connections
The play struggles with its tone, veering between comedy and farce, only to turn abruptly dark towards the end. This inconsistency makes it hard for the audience to fully engage with the central mysteries of Jones’s true nature and the veracity of his stories.
Jones himself, potentially a character as magnetic as Rooster from Jez Butterworth’s “Jerusalem,” comes across as underdeveloped. He resembles more a mischievous caricature, reminiscent of a barefoot Falstaff, leaving audiences puzzled about his true motivations.
Directed by Dan Jones, the play’s comedic elements feel generic and lack depth. Characters like Reginald Jones-Bateman (played by Qasim Mahmood), a stereotypical haughty English landowner, and a comically ineffective policeman (Rhys ap Trefor), seem as if they’ve been lifted straight from a lackluster 1970s sitcom.
The narrative itself drifts into absurdity with implausible scenarios, such as a party armed with a gun that somehow fails to capture Jones, or a police officer getting beaten after being mistaken for a badger in a sack without attempting to protest. The inclusion of a giant cauldron, allegedly carried across the Irish Sea by Jones, adds a bizarre touch that muddles the line between myth and reality rather than clarifying it.
Underexplored Themes and Evocative Set Design
While the play briefly touches on themes like cross-class and illicit romances, these elements feel more like plot devices rather than fully fleshed-out narratives. References to poverty and war are made but they float untethered to the central story, diminishing their potential impact.
The set, designed by Mark Bailey, effectively captures the ambiance of a period pub and subtly introduces broader themes, such as the approaching Great War and the historical tensions of English colonialism in Wales. Jones, much like the character Rooster, is portrayed as deeply connected to the Welsh land, now encroached upon by English aristocracy. However, these themes are diluted amidst the convoluted plot and humor.
The play’s climax, which ventures into the mythological realm questioning whether Jones is a real figure or a spectral embodiment of Welsh resistance, fails to resonate as powerfully as it might. Hidden within this production are glimpses of a profound narrative about the outsider spirit, rebellion, and the elusive nature of storytelling—elements of a potentially powerful play that only briefly surface.
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Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
