DramaLondonReview

Metamorphoses – Cockpit Theatre, London

Reviewer: Maryam Philpott

Writer and Director: Jimmy Justice

Greek mythology is obsessed with the body and concepts of transformation, from Narcissus overly admiring his own reflection to Hermaphrodite who was created from the merged forms of a beautiful boy and a nymph. Jimmy Justice smashes these stories together in a trans-focused exploration of concepts of gender, beauty and definitions of “unnatural” bodies or behaviours in 60-minute piece Metamorphoses which has a two-week run at the Cockpit Theatre based on Ovid’s classic poem.

Borrowing Ovid’s episodic structure, Metamorphoses is divided into twelve chapters each depicting a different story from Greek mythology, some of which the audience will know well, including Icarus and Pygmalion, alongside other stories which will be less familiar. Each chapter focuses on one character and, like Ovid, looks at different forms of and reactions to love as individuals explore how physical form, self-care and external perceptions shape their responses to the world.

Justice blends comedy approaches with deeper philosophical moments across the hour, opening with a chat show-style interrogation of Tiresias (Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle) who has lived as both a man and a woman in a conversation that turns, as is often the case with Metamorphoses, to discussions of sex as it does with Hermaphrodite’s story which takes place as a post-coital chat about obsession between the two characters destined to become one body.

Violence is equally prevalent with the disembodying of Actaeon following a video and voiceover about the dangers of hunting. Io (Kathrine Payne) sees themself as a cow flashed up on screen every time they look in the mirror while Procnes’ dinner with their husband turns gruesome. The strongest moment comes in Narcissus’ chapter (Macy-Jacob Seelochan) with a discussion of self-love and feeling “unnatural” in their body which resonates well with the themes of the show and provides one of the few moments of pause to reflect on the collective messaging of Justice’s play. A few more of these would give it a deeper grounding and pull together the different themes and ideas drawn from the selective extracts from Ovid’s stories.

But this is a rare avante-garde piece which, in content and expression, is challenging traditional theatre and is all the more enjoyable and meaningful for its innovative approaches even though not every scene succeeds. This is most notable in Lambdog1066’s high fashion costume design which is experimental and bold, creating unusual shapes and styles that push the narratives by creating structures and forms that balance the feminine and masculine influence as well as suggesting a dark fantasy element.

The three performers move effortlessly between different characters and Dan Stokes has created some interesting video backdrops that unnerve and perplex in equal measure. Metamorphoses has a lot of things happening all at once, deliberately so perhaps, and there is clear intent in Justice’s combination of stories. The themes and connecting commentary about Ovid’s influence could be stronger however and more powerfully suggest the ways in which the body and impressions of beauty, sexuality and gender have been contested ever since.

Runs until 1 June 2024

The Reviews Hub Score

Experimental

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The Reviews Hub London is under the editorship of Richard Maguire. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

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