Johnson Over Jordan
Johnson Over Jordan focuses on Robert Johnson, a meek businessman who has recently died. Now in limbo, Johnson looks back over his life while trying to reach the Inn at the End of World. On the way, he encounters the Central Offices of Universal Assurance and Global Loan and Finance Corporation and the Jungle Hot Spot nightclub.
Johnson Over Jordan is a play by J.B. Priestley.
Production history
Johnson Over Jordan was originally produced in 1939 with Ralph Richardson as Robert Johnson.[1] was accompanied by an original score by Benjamin Britten.[2] It was revived in a 2001 production at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with Patrick Stewart in the title role.[3]
In 1976, The joint Dramatic Society of King Edward's School, Birmingham and King Edward VI High School for Girls gave five performances of the play for the Schools' annual Senior Production. It was directed by Michael Birks. Johnson was played by Richard Horwood.
In February 2014 Bradford Grammar School was another amateur group to have performed the play, with Daniel Sanderson taking the title role of Robert Johnson. Tom Priestley, the son of J.B. Priestley, came to see the performance and commented: "Brilliant, absolutely magnificent to see such talent and my dad would have been proud." December 2017, NLCS Jeju has also performed the play, for three days, from 5th to 7th, directed by Yeongwoo Lee, Linus Kim, Hyun Hoi Koo, Skylar Shen, Jaehong Lim, and Judy Song, and the main leads who played Johnson are Judy Song, Jeyoon Eom and Skylar Shen.
Notes
- Gaye, pp. 1118 and 1410
- "Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)– Paul Bunyan Overture, Piano Concerto, Johnson Over Jordan (Suite)", Naxos Records, accessed 12 January 2014
- "Enterprising trek to Priestley's strange new world", The Electronic Telegraph, accessed 12 January 2014
References
- Gaye, Freda (ed.) (1967). Who's Who in the Theatre (fourteenth ed.). London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons. OCLC 5997224.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)