JOB: The HipHop Musical
(written and directed by Jerome Saibil & Eli Batalion)

JOB: The HipHop Musical modernizes the biblical tale of Job into an anti-corporate, rap-music allegory -- a potentially frightening prospect with an impressive outcome.

Eli Batalion and Jerome Sabil, a.k.a. MC Abel and MC Cain, do multi-duty as chorus and characters, using rapid-fire rap delivery to sketch out the story of "Hoover Records" executive company Job Lowe (geddit? Joe Blow? job low?). Job's boss uses the threat of a lay-off to test his favourite employee's loyalty as the play takes aim at the crueler aspects of both corporate culture and Judeo-Christian dogma.

It takes a while to get the gist of what Batalion and Sabil are spouting, and audio hiccups don't help. But, if their elastic rhyme style isn't necessarily cut out for a hip-hop heads, the rhythm of the dialogue becomes infectious and the story ingenious.

The duo's ability to trade-off roles -- each character is played by both of them at different points -- somehow clarifies the piece.

With an epic number of couplets packed into 60 minutes, it's an amazing feat that Batalion and Sabil tackle tirelessly.

— Kieran Grant