Jonah Non Grata: Biblical Comedy Meets Existential Theatre In This Edinburgh Fringe Show

Simon Kane may be a reluctant prophet, but he’s a committed performer. His show Jonah Non Grata is an absurdist, sermon-like solo performance loosely based on the biblical tale of Jonah - if Jonah were a reluctant public speaker with a healthy distrust of meaning itself. Mixing theology, clowning, hymns and low-budget spectacle, the show is equal parts doom prophecy and gentle group therapy. Here, Jonah reflects on Glaswegian inspiration, why nonsense can be kind, and the joy of refusing to explain your own work.

Jonah Non Grata is inspired by the biblical tale of Jonah. What drew you to that story originally?

One answer is: a surprising number of Glaswegians. I’ve qualms that the more inspirations I divulge, the more I risk closing off how people might enjoy it. But credit should certainly go to Alasdair Gray, whose introduction to the little Canongate edition of The Book of Jonah published in 1999 first caught my imagination with its description of “a prose comedy” about “an unwilling prophet” who just “wants God to leave him alone”. And also, to James Bridie, whose portrayal of an initially keener prophet, in his incredibly strange 1932 play Jonah and the Whale, I found while working in a second-hand bookshop on Great Russell Street in 2004.

There’s a strong sense of ritual in the piece - from the hymns to the sermon-like delivery. What interests you about theatrical ritual?

A lot. As a culturally Christian atheist who went to Church as a child and now makes Theatre, I’ve thought a lot about what I found missing from the former, and also the latter. All Religion is Art, I’ve concluded, so get stuck in. More specifically, if an audience realises they might be in some kind of church, it helps them join in while keeping their distance. There’s a useful immersive frisson. But there are all kinds of addresses/sermons in the show, not just those you’d find in a church. In many ways, it’s simply about a person trying to work out how to communicate to a lot of other people.

The show blends absurdism, theology, and clowning. What are you hoping audiences take away from that combination?

I’m very keen not to make work people couldn’t think of recreating, in their own spaces, with their own resources (at least for now). I also think the piece’s absurdism has taken on a greater importance with argument now turning into an industry. Making sense is no longer enough. The cultural landscape risks distilling itself into a school where everyone thinks they’re the teacher. Under such conditions, not making sense becomes a kindness.  

The show has evolved since it was first performed. How did you go about creating the changes?

“Evolved” is a good word because, much like the process of evolution, very little has actually changed in twenty years. I don’t have a director, but I’m blessed with kind, clever friends who have seen the show, and whose opinions I need. Perhaps the best note I received was never to let my character grow angry with the audience.

How do you balance comedy with more existential themes?

A show based on a story that loads of people know, about a prophet of doom who gets swallowed by a big fish and thinks he’s gone to hell, just seems an obvious winner to me. I listened to Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Galaxy in the car when I was eight. Jon Stone’s old Grover books, which my Dad would read aloud to me even earlier, are full of meta-textual dread. I think existential wobbles make a joke funnier. Bigger. There’s nothing to balance. They’re a bonus. 

What do you hope audiences at Edinburgh take away?

I hope the show fulfils every potential which a cheap solo show whose author refuses to talk about it can fulfil. I hope the audience have fun, and I hope they feel they’ve come through something safely.

Jonah Non Grata will be performed at 9.10pm in Assembly Rooms (Front Room) from 31st July – 24th August (not 11th or 18th)For tickets and more information, visit:: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/1076-jonah-non-grata