The Penelopiad, Papermoon and Crouching Giraffe, Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre - 7-17 July

 

I must admit I've never read a Margaret Atwood book or watched either of the TV series based on her work ("The Handmaids Tale" and "Alias Grace"), so this is my first look at her work. She strikes me as doing the novel-to-play transition better than most writers, using one of the world's oldest performed narratives as a basis for speculation about the inner life of Penelope and her maids, those left behind while Odysseus went to Troy in "The Illiad" then took a long trip on his way back in "The Odysey". Using the format of a reflective Penelope in Hades looking back at the life she once led, with the maids as Greek chorus and reflection of the costs of her actions, we get a female-led look at the lives of those normally kept in the background of a grand heroic narrative. 

Kate Blackhurst's production brings this thrillingly to life - her 13 performers weaving in and out of different roles telling an epic story of mythological magic and petty jealousies, brutality and love, victories and sacrifices. There's a true sense of grandeur in the production, played in front of a giant Macrame backdrop designed by Cate Clelland, reflecting the weaving which is to be such an essential part of the narrative. Elaine Noon is Penelope, handling a marathon role who is pretty much always the centre of the narrative, whether telling her tale or reacting to the maids and their accusations, their songs and their behaviours with skill, compassion, care and humour. The dozen maids work as a unit so well it feels brutal to pick out individuals, though they pick out moments as individual characters in the narrative, whether it be Heidi Silberman's braggart Odysseus, Carolyn Eccles' extremely passive-aggressive nurse Euryclea, Martha Russell's headstrong Telemachus, Victoria Dixon's narcissistic Helen (yes, THAT Helen),  Sarah Hull's mystical Niad Mother, Sue Gore Phillips' self-important mother-in-law Anticlea, or the half dozen other small roles. It's a strong production using the power of a true ensemble in dramatic ways, effective in its narrative power.

Adding to the richness of the evening are Brooke Thomas's choreography, giving a strong ritualistic sense to the evening, plus Glenn Gore Phillips' musical settings of Atwood's words which allow the chorus to give glorious voice to songs of mourning, songs of innuendo and songs of reflection. Annie Kay's costumes provide visual richness and variety in allowing the cast to slip in and out of roles and providing a mixed palate for the story to play on.

Altogether this is a great night of theatre, thoroughly absorbing and well worth the watch