It was a gorgeous day in Vancouver, and I watched it end while waiting for the Aquabus across the street. Tom invited me to check out The Heretic -- one play in "The Pick of the Fringe" (The 19th Annual Vancouver Fringe Festival). It was playing at The Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island, so I didn't have far to go.
Just as I was getting on the Aquabus, a bunch of geese floated by in a little bird parade...
The Heretic was a one-man show, written by Christian O'Conner. The actor, John Murphy, was AMAZING! What a talent! He was all over the stage, playing God, Jesus Murphy, Tom, Tom's gay friend Gary (my favourite character), a professor, and more, in rapid succession without skipping a beat. The guy can sing, too!
As you might gather from the title of the play, the performance was centred around heresy. It would be easy to dismiss the act as a one-hour extended railing against the Catholic Church and The Powers That Be, but the sputterings and mutterings of Tom were actually well-articulated, rational musings about questions we've all asked ourselves from time to time: Why am I here? Am I just entertainment for God? Is there even a God, or is God a concept?
Here's a description of the show, from the Fringe's website:
Religion is a virus, fear is the illness, and Tom needs an antidote. Jesus Murphy, evangelical atheist, declares war on the Word of the Lord, to save Tom and the rest of the world from its evil grasp. It's no holds barred, nothing sacred, word on Word fight to the death. Performer - John Murphy. Director - Jonathan Ryder. Warning: Gunshots + Blasphemy!
