UNDER THE CURSE. To 13 December.

London

UNDER THE CURSE
by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe new version by Dan Farrelly

Gate Theatre To 13 December 2003
Mon—Sat 7.30pm Sun 6 December 6pm
Runs 1hr 30min No interval

TICKETS:020 7229 0706
boxoffice@gatetheatre.freeserve.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 26 November

Attempt to turn play of ideas into one of action brings uneasy result.This final show in the Gate's autumn of Greek tragedies reworked gave its title to the whole Under the Curse season. After Tom Paulin's Antigone, there's been Jean Giraudoux's Electra and now Goethe's reworking of Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris.

Iphigenia is older sister to Electra and their young brother Orestes. Their father Agamemnon's agreement to sacrifice Iphigenia at Aulis, in return for favourable winds to sail for the Trojan War, led to his murder. Yet the young woman did not die; the goddess Diana whisked her away to become a priestess at Tauris. There, she's attracted King Thoas' desire and also has to make human sacrifices. In this case, though neither knows the other at first, her brother Orestes and his friend Pylades. They're captured stealing on divine command - a golden statue from the temple.

Finally, after the siblings have discovered their human link, Orestes realises the gods' usual gnomic instruction was not to take a statue, but recover his sister. Humanity prevails, but there are tough decisions for Iphigenia, who wants to return to Greece but has duties in the temple, besides being pursued by Thoas.

Goethe's theatre revelled in conflicts involving love, friendship, family and duty. The classic style, with its long speeches and sudden spurts of action, usually leading to another stopping-place for more speeches, loved analysing them.

It's the opposite of Giraudoux's play, where lightness and wit support a slim skein of ideas protracted with whimsy. Goethe argues ideas closely. It needs concentrated listening but rewards scrupulous attention with a thrill of ideas developing and modifying through the action.

This production adopts a hushed intensity which prevents the small space rendering the action overblown. But it's a rushed intensity, too even in this slimline version. Characters telegraph dialogue as if several spy networks might be listening in, about to arrest them. Individuality gets blanked out.

The traverse space rarely seems focused. Catherine McCormack her hairstyle suggesting Diana's priestesses do duty showing tourists around conveys some of Iphigenia's dilemma. Best is Peter Guinness's king, who registers moments of thought taking over from pure exercise of power.

Thoas: Peter Guinness
Orestes: Aidan McCardle
Iphigenia: Catherine McCormack
Pylades: Tom Smith
Arkas: Michael Thomas

Director: Joe Hill-Gibbins
Designers: Simon Daw, Angela Simpson
Lighting: Nigel Edwards
Sound: Ian Dickinson
Composer: Gary Yershon
Assistant Sound: Carolyn Downing

2003-11-27 11:42:35