Prophets @ Assembly Roxy

Prophets begins with the arrival of Kerris (Rebecca Wilkie), a scientific researcher from Scotland, on the island of St John. Ostensibly, she is here to study prehistoric weather. After meeting Joe (Xander Cowan), an amiable but erratic islander, her focus quickly shifts to the beliefs of the islanders who have fallen under the spell of the mysterious “prophet”, who claims descent from Christ and has rewritten the Bible with ominous new sections.

The idea of a forgotten descendant of Christ leading a small island community towards a life free from the sins of the modern world is clearly nonsense – one that is normalised in this context, and given power by an innate human desire to belong to ancient traditions, and to have larger forces give meaning to existence. However, there are always those who profit from this dynamic, and the power exercised by this mysterious prophet quickly shifts the story into a darker tale of conspiracy, abuse and survival.

Jack MacGregor’s story has much potential, at the heart of which is the clash of science and faith, and the way that both are caught in a Heideggerian tension between past and future. Xander Cowan's performance in particular is fantastic, with a range of characters and accents played seamlessly as he inhabits the cast around Kerris.

However, in its current form, St John feels too sparse; its sinister cult is just one confused believer, and a rich narrative is forced to move far too quickly through its ideas for them to hit with maximum impact. The show reaches a dramatic apotheosis that arrives too quickly, and before the characters and story have been given time to breathe. A full cast adaptation with an extra half-hour to build this intriguing premise would be very much welcome.

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Prophets, Assembly Roxy (Roxyboxy), until 31 Aug (not 24), 5.45pm, £16.50-17.50