IN THE last hundred years, conspiracy theories have been made about everything from the moon landings to UFOs. Liverpool-born writer Ian Carroll highlights another in this play about the “assassination” of John Lennon.
The premise of the show, which had a sell-out run at the Unity Theatre in 2003, is that the American government recruited and trained Mark Chapman, through mind control, to murder Lennon and therefore eliminate his “dangerous” links to Communism. Sean Lennon was once quoted as saying “it was in the best interest of the United States to have my father killed.”
As Lennon, West End stage veteran Danny Taylor shines. He exudes confidence as the young singer/songwriter, and grows into a wise political commentator and family man. Natasha Alexander also pulls off a convincing performance as Yoko Ono.
This is however, an ensemble piece, and all actors are formidable. The writing is good, with only the occasional poorly delivered plot point. The final decision to kill John Lennon comes about too quickly and without a full enough explanation.
The final minutes of the play are extremely powerful, dramatising how an icon met his end.
It’s a well-known fact the FBI kept a close eye on Lennon, but it’s too ambitious to take the full plotline at face value. One Bad Thing is thoroughly thought-provoking. Even if you don’t believe the conspiracy, it allows you to make your own conclusions, which is a credit to the writing.
David Jack
