Words by Brooke Munday

I want to tell you how fantastic Down Down Lucifer is. I want to talk about how the script was clearly written by someone who knows what they’re doing and how the acting draws you in then carries you from scene to scene without you ever fully remembering you’re watching a play. I want to convince you that this might just be the best solo I’ve ever seen.

So I will.

Down Down Lucifer is an examination of God’s ethics and a takedown of the Bible’s most famous stories, teachings, and contradictions. A solo show written and performed by Philippe Klaus with direction by Josh Brennan, it centres around the fallen angel Lucifer as he struggles with God and attempts to steal your soul.

On a technical level this play is near flawless. The sound production and lighting blend seamlessly into the performance, manipulating mood through colour, lighting and music. At times they’re transformative, providing easy shifts from scene to scene or place to place, and at others they bring vibrance and draw focus to key moments of the performance. No effect is wasted and every action is perfectly timed to complement Klaus’ acting, and the technical aspects of this play aren’t even its best assets.

For the most part the play is a satirical comedy that retells stories like those of Adam and Eve and Jesus Christ from Lucifer’s perspective. With pointed questions and cheeky comments, Lucifer toys with the other characters, making poignant arguments and delving into themes of faith, religion and morality.

As the plot unfolds, Lucifer’s fight against God for popularity transforms into a search for identity beyond that of the devil. The comedy is pierced by heart-wrenching pathos, and through it all the viewers are compelled to question their own beliefs and criticisms of Christianity’s and Catholicism’s favourite villain.

Lucifer himself is charming and witty. He guides the story with sarcasm, clever commentary and brutal honesty. He’s arrogant, but also humble and willing to admit when he’s wrong. Through his exploration of the paradoxes of God and his own human complexity, Lucifer is able to draw empathy and build a sense of deep frustration that resonates beyond the walls of the theatre.

Klaus and Brennan nailed Down Down Lucifer. It’s everything it needs to be: well-rounded, hilarious, thoughtful, and at times, confronting. And for that Lucifer can have my soul.