THEATRE REVIEWS

Take one step back from what you know and jump two steps forward to enjoy this new adaptation by director David Farr of the classic Greek myths of the Odyssey. All the techniques and tricks of the trade you will have seen before, in one guise or another and will see again, but the way they were put together makes this play.

The theatre has been transformed to the round with legroom and atmosphere brought about by the intuitive set designed by Angela Davies. Even when the interval arrives there is a jazz trio playing whilst you have your refreshment, despite the theatre not having quite gone smoke free and there are a few stumbles navigating the access to the seating.

It has all happened before as Homer shows us; we have the immigration question to start us off set in today's way of doing things, where you become "Nobody", which, when you get down to it, has not changed at all. Odysseus, played by Robert Bowman, is washed up on a distant shore with the remains of his ship and is interned and interviewed by two investigators (Colin Mace and Stuart McLoughlin) with predetermined ideas. He is then deluged by a retelling of the myths of the Odyssey. Athena is a goddess, played by a man, Dave Fishley, whose diction and voice would make you believe anything; are you beginning to see how mixed up it is to become? where the boundaries are blurred between man and beast. Circe played by Mia Soteriou and Maira played by Agni Tsangaridou give us the female interest and Peter Troake gives us the musical backing that is to interweave throughout the evening. Reality and myth get mixed up as we are taken through storms and shipwrecks, seductions and savagery, all of which have a place in the original tales. It's a go to experience it evening which you will enjoy. Everyone is looking for new ways to shock and change the way we look at things and, let's face it, who can believe the original stories that were all engineered to gain control over the populous?

The evening's performance is not without its faults and each person in the audience will have their own interpretation of the evening, but if they relax and take the play for what it is, pure theatre, they will enjoy the experience. Some may think that Odysseus lacks charisma and others will think that one of the girl's voices lacks that something. It's exciting and adventurous. © BA

“The Odyssey” is in Leeds on the 7th April to the 7th May, 2005. Council car parking charge £1 from 5.30pm.