Taking on this new up-and-coming play, which has had an impressive debut in grand London venues, was no easy task for a Cambridge student company on the ADC stage. Much as it was emphasised in previews that this production was not intending to be comparable to the West End, the cast and crew inevitably had large shoes to fill. But I see no point in holding reservations when I say that I was blown away by the ADC’s production of Jerusalem. A resonating message throughout all three Acts was that these students have put an impressive amount of thought and effort into telling us the story of Rooster Byron and his wasted friends.

The staging design was flawless. Lifelike tree-trunks and old furniture were positioned around the stage, resembling a dumping ground which was suffering on the ‘morning after the night before’.  An impressive attention to detail surrounded every stage direction from the minute the play began; these ranged from the clever entrances of cast members, hiding underneath piles of mattresses and crawling out of a caravan, to a thrilling fight-scene. A few technical hitches were encountered occasionally, but they were handled commendably.

The actors moved confidently around the stage; their unusual characters utterly believable. Comedic value was added by Ginger (Guy Clark), Lee (George Longworth) and the Professor (Chris Born), who often resembled cartoon characters with their postures, mannerisms and humorously executed dialogues. Equally good was Emily Dance in her execution of Dawn as the disapproving but ultimately feeble ex-girlfriend, interpreted with an impressive earnestness and depth.

And underpinning all this outstanding work was the powerful message of the dying (or indeed dead) rural England. Phaedra (Georgia Wagstaff) intermittently appeared to sing the William Blake hymn in a rustic and loose manner, at times with a wavering pitch, which nailed a feeling of solemnness that rested at the pit of my stomach as I left the ADC. 

I have saved the best till last, for the show’s prime highlight is Saul Boyer in his role as Johnny Rooster Byron. Interchanging between amusing and tragic, Boyer’s creation of this self-destructive, captivating Byron is astounding. He is a man for whom we feel pride, shame and pity all at once. He captivates the audience with his gravelly voice and vigorous facial expressions, particularly in the moving final scene, which left me not wanting the show to end.

All in all, a praiseworthy execution of an incredible play. There are still some tickets on sale for Jerusalem, which will be on until Saturday. If you can spare time to do one thing this week, I would wholeheartedly urge you to go see this show.