The Stage "A Must See!"
La Femme est Morte or Why I Should Not F%!# My Son
Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
The Shalimar brings the Greek myth of Phaedra right up to date with a telling that encompasses R’n’B, paparazzi, mobile phones and Hello! style notoriety for the golden triangle of Phaedra, her husband Theseus and his son - her lover - Hippolytus.
As such, it is superbly choreographed by Isis Masoud and Marc Santa Maria to a well constructed score from musical director Joey Williamson. The result is tightly directed by writer Shoshona Currier into a loud and furious blast of pure pop entertainment.
If the surface shimmers very brightly indeed, there is real depth here. Found dialogue combines with the modern setting so that it talks specifically about modern America and the attitude that its citizens have to their country’s current overseas military operations.
The performances, too, are top of the range. There is not merely huge physicality to the ensemble work and strong interpretation of the songs. The creation of character, particularly bored Phaedra (Kim Gainer), confused Hippolytus (Joe Curnutte) and Phaedra’s protective PR, Neevee (Jen Taher), goes way beyond that which you might expect. Laura Lee Anderson and Marissa Lupp’s chorus works superbly well with Williamson as arch media manipulator Tiresias to ensure that both glitter and depth are always in focus.
Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
The Shalimar brings the Greek myth of Phaedra right up to date with a telling that encompasses R’n’B, paparazzi, mobile phones and Hello! style notoriety for the golden triangle of Phaedra, her husband Theseus and his son - her lover - Hippolytus.
As such, it is superbly choreographed by Isis Masoud and Marc Santa Maria to a well constructed score from musical director Joey Williamson. The result is tightly directed by writer Shoshona Currier into a loud and furious blast of pure pop entertainment.
If the surface shimmers very brightly indeed, there is real depth here. Found dialogue combines with the modern setting so that it talks specifically about modern America and the attitude that its citizens have to their country’s current overseas military operations.
The performances, too, are top of the range. There is not merely huge physicality to the ensemble work and strong interpretation of the songs. The creation of character, particularly bored Phaedra (Kim Gainer), confused Hippolytus (Joe Curnutte) and Phaedra’s protective PR, Neevee (Jen Taher), goes way beyond that which you might expect. Laura Lee Anderson and Marissa Lupp’s chorus works superbly well with Williamson as arch media manipulator Tiresias to ensure that both glitter and depth are always in focus.
posted by SWC at 3:28 AM
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