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Adapted from the original play by Christopher Marlowe, the show tells the story of John Faustus, a bored religious scholar who, dissatisfied with his lot, sells his soul to the Devil in return for 24 years of unrestricted pleasure. From the battle with his conscience at the start, we follow John as he travels through time and around the world. He is accompanied on his travels by Mephistophilis, a clever and articulate demon who pulls everyone’s strings – even those of Lucifer, his master. Mephisto is friend and servant to Faustus but as the 24 years draw to a close, he begins to show his true colours with malevolent force. Faustus meets a terrible end, but his crime of longing for more out of life is not a unique one and this is why so many theatre goers feel such a sense of loss at the end of the show. Faustus is but a man with the flaws and idiosyncrasies of us all.
The main action is divided between four characters – Faustus, Mephisto, Lucifer and Helen of Troy but is interwoven with a subplot involving the clowns and other comic characters well loved for centuries by theatre goers, and features visits from the Seven Deadly Sins and a chorus of Good Angels and Bad Angels
Although we have remained faithful to most of the original work, the character list has been extended to provide more female roles such as Helen of Troy and several new comic roles too. There is even a visit from Christopher Marlowe himself! While perhaps unsuitable for children under 12, the show is designed for most performers and is especially pertinent given that the play is now on the English Literature A level syllabus. It has been performed with a minimalist set, but there are great opportunities for flambuoyant and colourful costumes with the visits round the world and back in time.
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