The journey of Everyman, a classic medieval tale, found new life at the Byre Theatre this week. As part of On The Rocks festival, it transplanted the action of the traditional play to the modern world, set within the context of a dream. The 15th century story follows the protagonist Everyman, who discovers his time on Earth is nearly up and sets out to convince other characters (Fellowship, Knowledge and Beauty) to accompany him and better himself before God. The final moral the audience is left with is that one is fundamentally alone when heading to the afterlife; it is only one’s own good deeds that ultimately matter.

The JOOT Theatre Company’s adaptation of this ancient source material made for a dynamic and engaging production. Lead actress, Hollie Whitfield, as Everyman, carried the weight of the play entirely, doing a magnificent job. Her despair and elation, as Everyman’s attempts to locate companions progresses, effectively communicated the humanity behind the archaic language – allowing the play to be accessible even to those without prior knowledge of the plot. The supporting cast were more variable in their performances, some enhancing the play’s atmosphere, and some making it appear more amateur. However, being anchored by such a powerhouse performance meant this hardly mattered.

The staging and direction of the adaption was similarly stellar. Minimalism seemed to be the key theme, in keeping with the moral of the play, with the stage dressed only with an armchair, a huge clock and a table set. The performance opened with a violinist, lit by a single spotlight, alone on the stage. The simplicity of the scene, and the music, anchored the play’s medieval setting, though the musician’s anachronistic costume betrayed this impression. The temporal displacement of the adaptation served well to reflect the confusion of the protagonist in his journey, effectively translating the script into atmosphere.

The only aspect of the production that let it down was the technical side. Microphones are always a difficult part of student theatre, and Everyman was no exception. An early monologue, intended to be the voice of God, was evidently intended to sound thunderous and intimidating, however the volume of the microphone made it physically painful to hear. Perhaps this was the intention, but it drew attention from the actual content of the speech. After this scene, microphone usage was negligible, allowing the talent on stage to perform without distraction.

Obviously, an issue like this, or like the slightly weaker supporting cast are nowhere near enough to seriously impair the quality of the adaptation, but they take the sheen off what might have been an extremely impressive performance. Ultimately, the direction and acting were effective in communicating the emotion and the moral of the tale, which in a medieval morality play,  is really all you can ask for.