This tragic Greek myth of the rape and mutilation of Philomele was adapted from Ovid’s original tale by Timberlake Wertenbaker. This was originally intended for a cast of eighteen but the Director of this production, Will Cudmore has edited it for an all-female cast of four. This is extremely effective and gives the play a much faster pace. Greek plays generally have a lot of talking but Will Cudmore’s excellent direction means there is never any moment of static talk or boredom.
The actresses are Sarah Anson, Rachel Bull, Natasha Leigh and Emily Roessler. Their performances are remarkable as they frequently have to portray men, women, gruff soldiers, Thracian wise women or an old servant at a moment’s notice without any change of costume. All four actresses gave a superb performance and the actress playing Philomele was quite excellent at portraying the changing nature of the woman she portrayed. From her childish sexual joking at the beginning to the growing discomfort with Tereus’s attentions, through to her silent burning malice at the end. It was a remarkable transition and performed with great realism, even more difficult with the actress changing roles when Philomele wasn’t in the scene to play a young boy or a soldier instead. These rapid and constant changes of character could have been confusing but the skill of the cast meant that it was quickly obvious who they were playing as soon as they started talking, and often even before then.
The play’s central themes are those of war, desire, rape, revenge and the silencing of questions. This, explains the director, is why the cast is female-only, so that the themes don’t get confused with male versus female only the enactment of it. The themes are explored very well by the play and highlighted by a chorus which asks penetrating rhetorical questions that keep the audience thinking long after they leave the theatre. The play is very successful at holding a mirror up to humanity’s flaws and though it provides no answers its central argument is that the questions should at least be asked.
This was a superb production of what could have been very difficult to pull off. The skill of all involved ensured that it worked seamlessly, with a fast pace, thick tragedy and touching the depths of emotion. At times it was difficult to watch, but it was always worthwhile. The sound and lighting helped to create a powerful atmosphere from the very start and didn’t let up until the final nightingale song, the only answer the play gives us.
The actresses are Sarah Anson, Rachel Bull, Natasha Leigh and Emily Roessler. Their performances are remarkable as they frequently have to portray men, women, gruff soldiers, Thracian wise women or an old servant at a moment’s notice without any change of costume. All four actresses gave a superb performance and the actress playing Philomele was quite excellent at portraying the changing nature of the woman she portrayed. From her childish sexual joking at the beginning to the growing discomfort with Tereus’s attentions, through to her silent burning malice at the end. It was a remarkable transition and performed with great realism, even more difficult with the actress changing roles when Philomele wasn’t in the scene to play a young boy or a soldier instead. These rapid and constant changes of character could have been confusing but the skill of the cast meant that it was quickly obvious who they were playing as soon as they started talking, and often even before then.
The play’s central themes are those of war, desire, rape, revenge and the silencing of questions. This, explains the director, is why the cast is female-only, so that the themes don’t get confused with male versus female only the enactment of it. The themes are explored very well by the play and highlighted by a chorus which asks penetrating rhetorical questions that keep the audience thinking long after they leave the theatre. The play is very successful at holding a mirror up to humanity’s flaws and though it provides no answers its central argument is that the questions should at least be asked.
This was a superb production of what could have been very difficult to pull off. The skill of all involved ensured that it worked seamlessly, with a fast pace, thick tragedy and touching the depths of emotion. At times it was difficult to watch, but it was always worthwhile. The sound and lighting helped to create a powerful atmosphere from the very start and didn’t let up until the final nightingale song, the only answer the play gives us.