The Messiah: 2018 edition

by Patrick Barlow

A travelling theatre troupe of two actors and an opera singer arrive by camel to masterfully enact the greatest story ever told.

Patrick Barlow's The Messiah is a hilarious Christmas comedy that conjures up the sublime, the ridiculous and the truly angelic.

First performed at the Tricycle Theatre in 1983, The Messiah was revived in this new, revised version for an extensive tour in 2018.

'Inspired silliness ... unalloyed pleasure' - Independent

109 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Patrick Barlow is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, Desmond Olivier Dingle, is the founder, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, which has performed on stage, on television and on radio. Barlow is the scriptwriter, as well as lead performer, in many National Theatre of Brent productions, in particular All the World's a Globe (1987), Desmond Olivier Dingle's Compleat Life and Works of William Shakespeare (1995) and The Arts and How They Was Done (2007). In non-Theatre of Brent performances, he wrote and played in the 4-part situation comedy for radio called The Patrick and Maureen Maybe Music Experience which ran for four weeks from January 1999.

Patrick Barlow wrote a stage adaptation, Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, which premiered in June 2005 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. After revision, the play opened at London's Tricycle Theatre in August 2006, and after a successful run transferred to the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly in September 2006. The play has also been performed on Broadway since early 2008, in Australia by the Melbourne Theatre Company in April 2008. and in Wellington, New Zealand, by Circa Theatre in July/August 2009.

Reviews

[Denise Goodkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It isn't actually that great as something to read but with the right comedic actors, it can be hilarious.....as I have witnessed. It could be a great find for someone who is looking for a light-hearted Christmas show.

[Rachel Saper · Rating 4 out of 5]

3..5 - with the right actors I can see this being very good. I’d love to see a production of this sometime. Unsure how easy it is to find an opera singer though.