God of Hell

Genre: Drama
Opened 26 Oct 2005
Written: by Sam Shepard
Directed:Kathy Burke
Cast: Ewen Bremner, Ben Daniels, Stuart McQuarrie, Lesley Sharp
Synopsis: Frank and Emma are American dairy farmers, alone in the Mid-West. Nothing ever happens. Nothing has happened for years. But now there's a mysterious man hiding in their basement; and a slick government official has come knocking at their door. Pay close attention. It's time to get ready for a bright, new American future and things are going to start moving very, very fast. Described by Sam Shepard as 'a take-off on Republican fascism', The God of Hell is an uncompromising black comedy which premiered at New York's Actor's Studio for a limited run last year.

What the critics had to say.....
NICHOLAS DE JONGH for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "What a chilling light on America Shepard casts." ALASTAIR MACAULAY for THE FINANCIAL TIMES says, "There is no pathos; the caricature style is so forced that there is no comedy; and the government surveillance and interference are so overblown that there is no conviction either." PAUL TAYLOR for THE INDEPENDENT says, "The problem, though, is that there is nothing in the piece - in terms of plot or character" MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "Shepard's Buried Child offered a far more withering assault on American values than this flimsy poster-art." BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE for THE TIMES says, " A funny and furious stab at the Bush Administration...Shepard's argument is too obvious to leave you with many new ideas to chew on; but there's still bite to this sour slice of American pie. " PETER HEPPLE for THE STAGE says, "The satire is over-stated but the play's brevity is a saving grace, preventing us from examining the thesis too closely...Still, it is finely acted."

External links to full reviews from popular press
The Independent
The Guardian
The Stage
The Times
Financial Times

Production photo by Stephen Cummiskey