How? How is it possible for a cast of four (plus two incredible backstage dressers) to put on the epic tale of ‘Ben Hur’ as a live performance, including a galley battle at sea and the iconic chariot race, in a single evening? With utter nerve and fabulous farce, that’s how. ‘Ben Hur’ is an absolute delight from start to finish, not only telling the familiar tale of the free man’s cruel fall to slavery and rise again, but also a nod to backstage shenanigans amongst the four fictitious cast members putting on the show.
Patrick Kearns’ direction of Patrick Barlow’s script zings with both humour and respect for the source material. And invention comes thick and fast in the staging, with clever use of two stepladders and a plank, various sound cues and costumes to cover all manner of locations – most memorably the galley interior.
Most importantly, the cast are incredible with bang on comic timing. As well as directing, Kearns plays the fictional lead actor/production company leader and the title character, providing a central axis from which the other three performers rotate to play the entirety of the rest of the epic tale. He sets the tone brilliantly, with padded fake muscles and an innate flawed goodness of intent muddied by circumstance and ego. And around him the others fly.
Harry Hart is both a pantomime villain delight as Messala under a giant centurion helmet doing nothing to discourage Marvin the Martian comparisons, and a vision of peace-and-light as a certain carpenter. Ben Roddy is ever adaptable and engaging as the lightly flirtatious Quintus Arrius, every-soldier arresting centurion, and chariot race commentator Pontius Pilate. And Louise Faulkner brings a ‘Shirley Valentine’ sparky toughness element to love interest Esther, and an every-starry-eyed-mother element to Mary. And I just want to note that these are only a small sample of the characters they all played.
Glorious ambition is realised in this small-to-moderate-sized amphitheatre, the location echoing both the big ideas and the warmth of the show. There’s a pantomime element with the dissolution of the fourth wall, but that’s what this kind of setting was made for. And this kind of company.
Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT), 20-23 May 2026, 8pm, £12/10 (2-4-1)
