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Henry Hitchings's rating
Savage stew of passion in Thyestes
By
Henry Hitchings
8 Jun 2009
We tend to think of violence as preventable but in the world of Lucius Annaeus Seneca it’s sensationally inevitable. Passion and brutality are ever-present; his characters are tormented by pasts that condemn them to be savage.
Seneca’s Thyestes influenced Shakespeare’s gore-fest Titus Andronicus, and it’s a typically lurid work. “Bad luck is better than good,” says Thyestes himself in Caryl Churchill’s translation: from early on we know we’re in for brash rhetoric and sanguinary weirdness.
The essential business is this: brothers Atreus and Thyestes are supposed to rule the kingdom of Argos in partnership but after Thyestes welshes on their agreement and steals Atreus’s wife, Atreus determines to exact bloody revenge.
The atmosphere of Polly Findlay’s production is claustrophobic and forbidding: hanging lights flicker, characters fuss with battered office furniture, mysterious hums and clangs reverberate, and quivering torsos slap the concrete floor.
Nick Fletcher as Atreus, a complacently snooty sadist, gives a strong performance, while Jamie Ballard’s Thyestes has some powerful moments, though he is obliged to wail at excessive length and (twice) vomit like a cat expelling a hair-ball.
Seneca’s 2,000-year-old play has clear limitations, and Churchill’s version contains some poetic moments and strikingly visceral imagery but is constrained by the schematic talkiness of the original.
Hannah Clark’s design turns the Arcola’s intimate space into a stew of festering unpleasantness. But the play’s shocks are pedestrian; at times the action drags, and the story lacks cogent emotional interest.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (6)
Did the show make me uncomfortable? Absolutely. I squirmed in my seat throughout, even when the writing gave away any potential surprises. Before you blame the production, read the play again. It isn't an enjoyable piece of work. If that's not your kind of thing, fair enough. Stay at home. Even so, I think it's wrong and a little bit ignorant to dismiss this most excellent production on the basiis of it maing you uncomfortable. I strongly recommend that anyone who loves absorbing, harrowing drama hurry over to the Arcola to catch Thyestes.
- Rob, London, 10/06/2009 10:17
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I couldn't disagree with Mr. Hitchings more. I thought the production was superb. The acting was breath-taking. Jamie Ballard's emotional connection to the part was inspired, and Nick Fletcher's subtle performance was chillingly good. The entire ensemble seemed to gel together so well to deliver what is effectively a 2000 year old piece. I was left blown away by the end. Nothing about the production seemed un-nessessary and for a fringe venue the standards rival some of the biggest west end productions. Well worth the price of the ticket.
- Ellen Kathrine Saunders, London, UK, 09/06/2009 15:02
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I enjoyed aspects of this production, which seemed to me to be in some regards bold and unusual. However, there were times when the performances, even if emotionally authentic, were hard to take and I ended up thinking that the play itself was limited and not really a proper drama at all. I think three stars would be the limit for this interesting but flawed play.
- Gareth Munby, London, UK, 09/06/2009 09:17
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I thought this production had a real sense of style about it, but I was not at all convinced the play or the translation really justified revival, and the acting, though powerful in parts, had moments that seemed just too overwrought.
- David Rodley, London, 08/06/2009 22:21
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This young director has taken a complex, word-heavy text and wrought a magnificent piece of theatre from it.
Polly Findlay’s production is a tense, vibrant and terrifying study of the banality of evil. It shows us, not only that Seneca inhabited the same world as we do, with the same fears, dangers, passions and pain, but that, unchecked by law, small-minded, petty politicians observe no limits when exercising their will. It links Nero’s Rome with the Third Reich, Cambodia under Pol Pot and Uganda under Amin.
Superbly acted, designed with flair, this is a stunning production.
- Jill Evans, London, 08/06/2009 14:51
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I disagree with Henry Hitchings. I thought the shocks were profound and the acting terrific. For what it's worth, I thought Jamie Ballard's wailing was great and proportionate. Of course, it may be that Mr Hitchings knows from experience that eating one's own children usually results in briefer expressions of lamentation but in that case I think he should reveal his specialised knowledge. I'm also not sure what he means by "cogent emotional interest" -- the emotional thread running through the play was clear, logical and convincing -- and the audience when I was there certainly seemed to find the story interesting. Overall, I though this was a really good evening and I'd recommend it.
- John Sefton, London, 08/06/2009 13:09
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