Assembly Roxy
Three stars
Paradise, as is the case in Jack McGregor’s new play, isn’t half as nice as advertised. This is something scientist Kerris discovers first hand while on a research trip to a forgotten British outpost somewhere in the South Pacific. Arriving on the island of Saint John - population 48 - Kerris is taken under the wing of local man Joe, with the only fun in town seeming to be singing at the nightly religious service.
As the audaciously redrafted bible Kerris finds in her room indicates, there’s a lot more going on here than the apparent idyll indicates. With talk of a mysterious prophet laying down the law, Kerris’ private investigations reveal her own vague connection to the history of Saint John. When she comes face to face with this would-be new messiah, anyone who’s ever watched any of the multitude of documentaries on religious cults can guess how things pan out.
Jumping between Kerris’ time on the island and her attempts to circumnavigate colonial bureaucracies who would rather their island secret stayed lost, Fraser Scott’s production ramps up the heart of darkness at play without ever laying bare any great revelation.
With Rebecca Wilkie as Kerris and Xander Cowan as Joe and other assorted men folk - one of McGregor’s best lines comes when Joe points out the lack of women on the island - there are slight nods to retro folk horror in some of the play’s plotting, albeit with a more forgiving ending. Ultimately, however, the play aspires to be the sort of fast paced thriller that gets the heart thumping rather than become a cult affair left in the shadows.
Until Aug 31, 5.45pm.
The Herald, August 17, 2026
ends
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