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Latest items? Unedited? Fringe Report Uncut
Achilles in Heels
Verdict: Better than School House Rock
London - Landor Theatre - 22 Feb to 11 Mar 06 - 19:30 (21:00)
Achilles in Heels is a new musical comedy with a cast of 10 (3F, 7M).
Before Achilles fought heroically in the Trojan War, he disguised himself as a woman on the island of Skyros, trying to avoid his prophesised early death in battle. Achilles in Heels takes this fragment of mythology and runs a marathon with it.
In Mark Bunyan’s imaginative book, the goddess Thetis places her son Achilles in hiding to be raised as the daughter of Lycomedes. The now teenage Achilles, his sisters - and nearly everyone in the adjacent kingdoms - haven’t yet caught on that he’s a boy. Par for the course for a Greek legend, and it’s all explained in a catchy song.
The show starts with a Greek chorus in contemporary dress. It feels like a tragedy, but soon a dancing bug spreads across the stage and there’s an interesting blend of Greek-traditional and modern dance. Once the cast shed their first costumes for Greek tunics and outrageous wigs, it all begins to come together.
The cast seem to have tremendous fun with the characters, making the ancient stories more human - if slightly more trivial. The playful dynamic between the three sisters is delightful, and teenage innocence is hit perfectly by Nicola Justine Ogborn, Phillipa Biggs and Russell Walker - as they coo over boys and ‘frou-frou girlie things’. Also very funny is the contrast between stunningly cool Thetis (Adele Anderson of Fascinating Aïda), and her panicky men - brother Lycomedes (Stephen Guilfoyle) and old flame Phoenix (Ian Dring). Ian Dring’s intense Phoenix evokes other frenzied servant-characters in other musical comedies set in the classical period. He plays this hysteria perfectly – he’s particularly funny as he changes to deadpan mode to announce the passage of time.
The story is held together by the central performance and treatment of Achilles. Russell Walker plays him superbly. His Achilles is an angsty boy who worries about finding love, being different - as puberty hits he’s no ordinary princess - and helping his older sisters avoid the shackles of marriage.
The character’s innocence about his identity makes his eventual romance with handsome Patroclus (Jonathan Eio) difficult to categorise. Costumes and snazzy magenta lighting, against a stark white set, suggest camp from the start. But the romances are approached more earnestly than might be expected for such a comedy - and in the end the questions of gender identity and gayness seem almost irrelevant. Achilles and Patroclus are presented as two teenagers, in the midst of a first love that is delightfully awkward and gender-blind. Jonathan Eio and Russell Walker give particularly endearing performances as they bashfully pine for each other.
For the sake of musical-comedy expediency, a romance is established between Diodeima and Zeno (David McClelland) - who sing a sweet duet. This twist absolves Achilles from his mythical role of impregnating and marrying Diodeima, and the taboo of the princess falling in love with a servant contrasts with the boys’ accepted romance.
Meanwhile, Achilles doesn’t know that he’s being hunted by Odysseus. Jaymz Denning gives an uproarious performance as the warmongering leader hungry for… olive oil. Odysseus’s pride and greed are played up, making for some clever topical comments in the lyrics.
A trap for some might be the device of giving each song a different gimmick - as in eg Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The success of the music varies. There are some fine passages and some more tentative segues, such as raps which are well-written but sometimes too quick to understand. That’s a shame, because the lyrics are sharp - especially in the number from Odysseus, and the bluesy lament from Thetis about motherhood: 'As I said to Medea at the nursery school: What’s a mother to do?'.
Many liberties are taken about a character Homer painted as wrath personified - a symbol of unavoidable strife. It may trouble specialists in Greek myth - but it’s clear from the first puff of fake-Mount-Olympus-smoke that literature is not being taken too seriously.
The most enjoyable part is the vocally-talented 10-actor ensemble, all evidently at ease in a tricky brand of comedy. Characters occasionally wink at the audience, but otherwise long for love. The fact that these characters have been built somewhat exaggeratedly makes one mournful song towards the end feel a bit out of place. The tone is quickly rescued by a series of post-modern turns, which Adele Anderson executes with a sublime self-assurance - fitting for the only goddess in the play.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Adele Anderson - Thetis. Phillipa Biggs - Diodeima. Jaymz Denning - Odysseus. Ian Dring - Phoenix. Jonathan Eio - Patroclus. Stephen Guilfoyle - Lycomedes. Simon Masterton - Eurymachus. David McClelland - Zeno. Nicola Justine Ogborn - Thea. Russell Walker - Achilles.
Company Credits: Book, Music and Lyrics - Mark Bunyan. Director - Robert McWhir. Rap Choreography - Emma Kelly. Lighting Design - Martin Terry. Costumes - Jane Poole. Musical Direction - Stuart Barr. Musical Supervision - Mark Warman. Design - Corinne Bibby.
END
(c) Jeni Morrison 2006
reviewed Wednesday 22 February 06 / Landor
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012
www.fringereport.com
