A darkly satirical examination of a messiah

Colin Mitchell (right), co-writer and director of one-man show Eulogy, with his star Scott Wills. Photo / HoS.

Mint Chicks guitarist Ruben Nielson has a reputation as a dare devil. He climbs PA stacks, hangs from lighting rigs and in true rock star tradition has smashed guitars and attacked the stage with a chainsaw.

But it's doubtful if Nielson realised what lay ahead when he asked a church musician in Portland, Oregon, where the Mint Chicks are based, for help to write the score for a new New Zealand play.

The play is Eulogy, a satirical examination of a messiah who becomes a megalomaniac. Nielson wanted to create an authentic funereal score so sought help from a church organist who was happy to assist until he learned the true nature of the play. Eulogy writer/director Colin Mitchell says the man slapped Nielson and refused to offer support.

"Ruben assured me he wasn't hurt - just a bit shocked. There was no intention to deceive. He didn't think it would be an issue."

Producing the contemporary comedy is a leap of faith for Mitchell and co-writer/producer Wade Jackson who have received no public funding for the project. But Mitchell doesn't shy away from exposing issues others might want to keep under wraps. He directed the twisted love story My Brother and I are Pornstars and produced two seasons of the Sex with Strangers series of one-act plays.

A fan of big ideas that exist across multiple media, Mitchell set his sights on writing a piece about the business of modern-day religion a couple of years ago. He was interested in how evangelists and self-styled spiritual leaders win over their followers and wanted to incorporate techniques such as mass suggestion, psychological manipulation and hypnosis in the play.

Mitchell joined forces with Jackson, one of the founders of Improv Bandits as well as a hypnotherapist and practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming. The two have spent around two years working on the story, in which the audience are mourners at the funeral of Prophet Joseph Jones. A wildly successful and wealthy televangelist, Prophet Jones fell from grace because of his addiction to male prostitutes and cocaine.

His son Joshua is determined to give his father a suitable eulogy which recounts the highs and lows of his life.

Scott Wills was approached by Mitchell and Jackson to play Joshua Jones as well as the prophet, who is seen in video clips played at his funeral. Jackson describes Wills as an actor with gravitas which the part demanded.

Wills can't seem to escape work with a spiritual theme. He was last seen in the TV2's The Cult. "I suppose it highlights what our global concerns are at the moment," he says.

PERFORMANCE

What: Eulogy

Where and when: Maidment Theatre, June 30-July 16