Review: Satan vs God (online)

Written and performed by Deaon Griffin-Pressley, directed by Judy Barr and filmed by Andre Russell, this production has previously been seen at the Edinburgh Fringe and Wellington Fringe (New Zealand) and now stops in Brighton.

It is a digital tour for this monologue which deals with religious and philosophical questions, and the age old battle between good and evil.

Lucifer, the fallen angel cast out into the pits of hell, begs God for his chance to redeem himself by ending the world on his terms.

In its exploration of the worst of humanity, Satan vs God considers topics of faith, fidelity and fanaticism.

This is an original take on the battle between the devil and the deity, and uses dance and music to keep the presentation fresh.

Production image for Satan vs God

We have seen many depictions of Satan through the years, from ritual to ridicule, and Griffin-Pressley’s dynamic bruiser with a painted cross on his head is a slightly different take than the traditional horns and forked tail.

God himself remains a disembodied voice – an interesting choice as depictions of the wise old man with a white beard can come across a little paternalistic.

Here, the sense that good and evil are bookends of the same persona, and that humans may have veered too far into the seven deadly sins raises the question of why the world has been left to exist so long.

However, I found the sound balance didn’t do justice to the material all the way through, despite interesting visuals and a committed performance.

You can stream Satan vs God during the Brighton Fringe until 5 June: book your tickets here and view the trailer here. The show is produced by DPG Theatre Productions.

The show is also available at C Arts all year round with tickets available here.