Ben Hur by Patrick Barlow at Stage Coach Theatre

What could possibly be funny about a stage adaptation of the 900-page 19th Century Biblical epic novel best known as one of the hours-long mid century Charlton Heston films?Everything, as it turns out.Ben Hur: An Epic Comedy by Patrick Barlow is a scream. Written in a similar style of parody that leaves four actors playing a plethora of characters with lightning-quick changes and seemingly infinite plot points on the turn of a dime, Ben Hur feels like silliness equal parts borrowed from Monty Python and Waiting For Guffman.The story is thus: a British amateur theater collective of four actors and a very limited budget is quite serious about bringing to life the historical fictional revenge tale of Judah Ben Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who in the first century is wrongfully accused of murder, enslaved by the Romans, and ultimately is redeemed by becoming a compassionate Christianall of which is happening in tandem with the unfolding life of Christ.And heres where the funny comes in. Its four players each playing a multitude of roles, sometimes simultaneously. But theyre actual brilliant, professional actors doing all the roles playing amateur players playing those many characterscrossing boundaries of gender, ethnicity, class, and good taste, among other lines that likely shouldnt be crossed.