THE BACCHAE. To 22 September.
Edinburgh 2007 EIF.
THE BACCHAE
by Euripides new version by David Greig.
King’s Theatre, Leven St. To 18 August 2007.
8pm Mat 15, 18 Aug then Theatre Royal, Glasgow 28 August – 1 Sept 2007 and Lyric Hammersmith, London 5 - 22 Sept 2007.
Runs 1hr 50mins. No interval.
TICKETS: 0131 473 2000.
www.nationaltheatrescotland.com
Review: Thelma Good 13 August 2007.
Zest, humour and shock.
He arrives suspended, his buttocks exposed to the audience. Right side up he smoothes down his golden kilt and announces with a toss of his curly chin length hair, “So Thebes, I’m back.” And the Scots in the audience quiver to a man or woman, for we are Thebans, and this is one of our entertainment gods. He’s been away, Alan Cumming, but he’s back and we’re delighted to see him.
David Greig’s version of Euripides’ posthumous play is not a dry, moribund thing. Both the text and John Tiffany’s National Theatre of Scotland production have responded to the zest, humour and shock the original contained. It’s almost pantomime at points as Cumming’s Dionysus plays with the audience, coming on to everyone. And he’s not alone; his dark-skinned Bacchae number ten.
Together they give voice to sometimes spine-chilling song and frequently sexy numbers, each dressed in a unique red gown, each a personality. They sing and they move, their loose-hipped and long-legged sway with Simon Hoggett’s choreography upping the sensual temperature further.
There’s a menace in the returning bisexual god and his female companions but the women of Thebes run off to the hills to take part in Bacchic rites. This does not go down well with Thebes’ oppressive puritanical ruler Pentheus, the changing nature of his erectness well played by Tony Curran. Scene follows scene on Miriam Bleuther’s white, curved, two-walled set where the chained Bacchae writhe, and several surprising dramatic transformations raise the temperature and intoxication.
It’s a crash course on the dangers of the multi-deity Greek religion with its manipulative gods. There’s also the added fascination of the part-human, part-divine parentage of Dionysus foreshadowing the parentage of Jesus. Maintaining high energy almost all the way through, there are striking cameo performances from Paola Dionisotti, Ewan Hooper and Ralph Riach as well as Sandra Yaw (who also plays of one of the excellent Bacchae) as the first messenger.
Whipping them all up into wild behaviour and giving the audience immense pleasure is Cumming’s full-on Dionysus, a wilful creature delighting in his own powers. This urgent Bacchae under Tiffany’s direction moves the heart, the mind, the soul and the hormones, leaving no doubt this nearly 2500 year old drama speaks to us today.
Dionysus: Alan Cumming.
Pentheus: Tony Curran.
Agave: Paola Dionisotti.
Cadmus: Ewan Hooper.
Tiresias: Ralph Riach.
The Bacchae: Michelle Asante, Lynette Clarke, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Marcia Mantack, Gloria Onitiri, Denise Orita, Ann-Mairie Roberts, Jessika Williams, Emi Wokoma, Sandra Yaw.
Director : John Tiffany.
Designer/Costume: Miriam Buether .
Lighting: Colin Grenfell.
Sound: Christopher Shutt.
Composer/Musical Supervisor: Tim Sutton.
Choreographer/Assistant director: Simon Hoggett.
Associate sound: Colin Pink.
Trainee director: Joe Douglas.
2007-08-16 01:40:00