Writer: Katherine Soper, after Euripides
Director: Kwame Owusu
What did the ancient Greeks ever do for us?
Apart from the foundations of democracy, the Olympics, and some great pottery fragments (among other things, of course) their writers created an incredible theatre tradition that echoes down to our present world. The god of this theatrical tradition? Dionysus (also known as Bacchus). He’s also the god of madness, religion and booze, a heady but logical mix.
He’s the subject of Euripides’ legendary book The Bacchae which sees the god come to Thebes to cause trouble in revenge for past slander. In Katherine Soper’s rewrite of this old text, the chaos and malice are present and correct, and the story has been tweaked to bring a modern and sadly relatable edge to it.
Bacchus targets girls on the cusp of adulthood, all of whom are going through periods of crisis. They share, in touching introductions to themselves, their issues with their bodies, parents, identities, romantic relationships and the other wave of difficulties young women today, and through time, face. The god takes advantage and brings them unhelpful answers in the form of a cult (we know it’s a cult because they have to say it’s not a cult) which sets them collectively against society and leads to tragedy in an isolated compound on a mountain.
Soper’s text excels with its compassionate look at the troubles of these women, and the slyness of a smart manipulator (who uses his powers successfully on others too like Agave and Pentheus, a mother and son who form the ruling elite of the city). Their infatuation with Bacchus (a charismatic Behkam Salehani) and his message are well presented and greatly helped by dynamic direction from Kwame Owusu. Unfortunately, it comes off as descriptive without bringing much sense of jeopardy or danger and it’s hard to keep track of characters as we progress (in fairness, maybe it’s intentional to show the girls moving and evolving as a group rather than individuals). The depiction of the violent high-point of the piece with Agave and her son Pentheus, for example, conveys the message but little of the emotion.
Performances too are mixed. Salehani is convincing as the vengeful, slick god. Joshua Ogbue shows depth as the upset paterfamilias Cadmus. As a production from the Lyric Hammersmith’s training programme, Springboard, there are understandably some unpolished aspects to the performances though massive potential is shown spread through this young cast. Moments of dynamism and real charisma appear throughout especially when it comes to telling the girls’ personal stories.
Soper has done a fine job of bringing a classic text to life with a new and relevant interpretation. Examining the ease with which people can be manipulated away from their own best interests is fascinating. It’s a less-than-polished full package, but strong elements are clearly in evidence, ready to be built on by this exciting young group.
Runs until 22 July 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Unpolished, but exciting
