A portrayal of an actual 1970s commune that resulted in the Jonestown massacre, there was still an air of mystery surrounding its leader, Jim Jones (Jonny Morton), by the curtain call in this production. More than 900 people died, about a third of whom were ‘minors’, that is, 17 years of age or under. Before ‘9/11’, it was the largest recorded incident of intentional civilian deaths in American history. The emphasis is largely on the power Jones held over his followers, and the brutality his Peoples Temple cult exercised was never portrayed on stage. A visit from Leo Ryan, a congressman, to Guyana, and specifically to Jonestown, the remote compound where cult members resided, did not exactly end well. The audience saw and heard, as it were, what Ryan saw and heard, for the most part: shiny, happy people saying they were contented, and Jones making public declarations that people were free to go whenever they pleased.
The reality was rather different, though again the show doesn’t dramatize what happened to those who tried to escape and were caught, relying instead on a combination of other members dissuading people from leaving in the ‘present’, and eyewitness testimony, sometimes decades later, in the form of televised interviews. This makes for a production that is more complicated than it needed to be, as the narrative annoyingly bounces back and forth, not only between 1978 and as far forward as 1998 but as far back as 1947, thanks to a flashback scene whose only purpose seemed to be to demonstrate that Jim Jones was a wrong ‘un even as a youngster. Yes, there are large video screens that tell the audience exactly where and when each scene is set, but isn’t that a bit like having to read the blurb beside a painting in an art gallery in order to understand it?
Chickenshed uses its usual supersized cast drawn from a number of children and youth theatre groups to good effect, with some members forming a version of the Peoples Temple Choir. A pre-show performance in the theatre bar featured a number of gospel-esque songs and choruses. Even in these songs, delivered with gusto and evangelical fervour, praises to God came across as really being directed at Jones, which was confirmed by his sermons in the show proper. The cheery nature of these musical numbers made them all the more terrifying, paradoxically, and on balance was as impactful as a more overtly brutal portrayal of events would have been.
The stage was often very busy – the three-sided seating configuration meant it often felt like there were more people in the cast than in the audience. It is extremely well choreographed, with the kind of precision that wouldn’t be out of place at Trooping the Colour. A cult from a generation ago on another continent might, at face value, be a curious choice for a show. But we still live in a world in which people can be deceived by sparkling and charismatic personalities, with potentially extremely dangerous consequences for not toeing the party line.
In the final moments, some reflections from Chickenshed members on how rehearsing the show and researching the events being portrayed affected them could be turned into another show in itself. The possibilities are extensive – the pastoral care provided to cast members, for instance, could be included, as well as the ways in which the show affected the creative and backstage teams. (Then again, it might come across as Chickenshed blowing its own trumpet.) Predictably, this was not an easy watch. Unpredictably, it was as charming as it was harrowing.
Review by Chris Omaweng
“It looked like piles of washing hung out to dry. But they were bodies.”
Chickenshed takes audiences on a gripping, thought-provoking journey into the world of cults with The Washing Line, a bold production exploring the story of Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple. What begins as a vision for an idealistic community descends into a chilling nightmare, raising urgent questions about power, persuasion, and the human need to belong.
Through Chickenshed’s signature storytelling, The Washing Line unpacks the psychological and social forces that lead people to seek alternative forms of belonging when they feel unheard by the mainstream. Blending movement, music, dance and multimedia, this production creates a fully immersive theatrical experience that is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant.
CORE CAST – in order of appearance
DI Johnson, detective – Ashley Driver
DI Murphy, detective – Vintage Shaw
Smith, detective’s assistant – Alice O’Connor
Congressman Ryan, political leader in America – Paul Harris
Stoen, Congressman Ryan’s aid – Jack-Wayne Harris
Interviewer 1 – Sienna Da Silva
Lesley Wilson, survivor – Ginny Taub
Jim Jones – Jonny Morton
Marceline Jones, Jim Jones’ wife – Sarah Driver
Jessie, Peoples Temple member – Anna Listo-Rees
Vernon, Peoples Temple member – Alex Brennan
Rodriguez, coroner – Keran Patel
Taylor, coroner – Daniel Pramatarov
Alex, forensics photographer – Elia Criscuoli
Alvin, Peoples Temple member, brother of Mark – Hector Dogliani
Mark, Peoples Temple member, brother of Alvin – Angel Daniel Mboyo
LJ, survivor – Ammar Awad
Sister Richmond, Fake Healing – Chantelle Alisa
Teri O’Shea, survivor – Ellie Carroll
Young Jim Jones, 14/15 years old – Tristan Manzi
Alan, Young Jim Jones’ friend, 14/15 years old – Callum Clesham
Bradley, Young Jim Jones’ friend, 14/15 years old – Louie Perry
Mitch, Young Jim Jones’ friend, 14/15 years old – Lenny Goodman
Thomas, Young Jim Jones’ friend, 14/15 years old – Sonny Sinclair
Deborah, Congressman Ryan’s assistant – Corina Elliott
Elliott, Reporter 1 – William Lawrence
Jackie Speers, Reporter 2 – Bunny Kwabene
Richard Dwyer, Congressman Ryan’s colleague – Jimmy Adamou
Athena, Black Panther – Tia Merrifield
Addison, Peoples Temple member – Imogen Tearle
Beverley, concerned family member – Saffire Ellis-James
Ms Symonds, Peoples Temple member – Ferah Ibrahim
Shirley May, Peoples Temple member – Mabel Brooker
Eric, Peoples Temple member – Emmett Ford
Devised and created by Michael Bossisse, Dave Carey and Bethany Hamlin
Set and Lighting Design – Andrew Caddies
Multimedia and Sound Design – Phil Haines
Costume Design – Emma Gale
Project Manager – Fiona Carey
THE WASHING LINE
Chickenshed Theatre
13 March to 5 April 2025
