JEZ BUTTERWORTH (b.1969)
Jerusalem. London: Nick Hern Books, 2009.
An insightful first edition of Jez Butterworth’s critically-acclaimed play, signed on the title and annotated by the playwright with around 600 words of commentary. Jerusalem premiered in 2009 at the Royal Court Theatre, starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook. The play was incredibly well-received, being nominated for both a Tony and an Olivier award. Set on St George’s Day at a country fair in Wiltshire, it centres around Johnny 'Rooster' Byron, ‘a local waster and modern-day Pied Piper.’ In 593 words across 28 pages, the playwright’s annotations describe the arduous process of writing the play over many years. With striking precision, Butterworth’s notes pinpoint the inspiration for moments in the play, from memories of childhood to conversations with friends, even highlighting direct quotes from people in his life: ‘Allan said this to me over a hedge in Wilcot in 1994’ – ‘My daughter Bel said this at bedtime to me aged 2 ½’. The play returned to the Apollo theatre, London, in April 2022, thirteen years after it premiered at the Royal Court Theatre.

Octavo. Original pictorial card wrappers.

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