Clytemnestra - Theatre Review

Fri 20 Apr

Sherman Cymru

★★★★☆

Clytemnestra, an ancient Greek legend adapted for stage, is Sherman Cymru’s first major English language play since re-opening in February. Written by Gwyneth Lewis – former Welsh National Poet – Clytemnestra is her first stage play.

“When we’ve killed all the animals, men will be next”. Transported 200 years into the future, food is scarce and the human condition is stretched to its limit as families are forced to make sacrifices and wage war to survive. Agamemnon is no different: father and clan leader he has ventured out to barter for supplies, acting in the wider interest he exchanges younger daughter Iphigenia for trade routes. Only, his plan back fires as she is raped and killed and in her grief Clytemnestra goes mad, killing Agamemnon on his return.

Told from Clytemnestra’s point of view, the audience watch as she loses sight of reason and succumbs to the whispering torment of a Fury, hell bent on havoc and revenge. The Furies are an ancient race of God’s/Godessess adapted by Gwyneth into vengeful spirits, and they act as a perfect tool in Clytemnestra’s madness: wraiths within the main character’s shadows, they are the basest and most primitive part of the human psyche, demanding an eye of any eye. Played by Nia Gwynne and Adam Redmore, they are a constant presence on stage, adding an intense physicality to the play with their blend of graceful choreography and dark threats. Played brilliantly by Gwynne and Redmore, their creepy, contorted voices embody revenge.

Jaye Griffiths is powerful in her performance as Clytemnestra, pouring pure agony into her cries of grief and delivering her Fury led madness with conviction. As the voice of reason and family loyalty Rhian Blythe’s Electra is worried for her mother and easily fits to her moment of command. The chorus of abattoir workers provide light comic relief and normality against the outpouring of grief and calculated revenge. “Who’d be a leader? Better far to be a pleb”.

With terrifying brilliance, the soundtrack hits you full on a constant wall of wailing grief and post-apocalyptic percussion, putting the audience firmly in the world of the characters. The set is a simple but powerful statement of blood stained, stark white tiles and tall steel structures – the backdrop of a slaughterhouse.

Stripped down to its essential, the plot is simplistic and very easy to follow, the language ordinary and direct.  Yet for the minimalist approach the narrative seems to glance over some sections, barely giving the audience enough to bite into: Clytemnestra meeting Aegisthus is a very physical scene but the dialogue is sparse. What are Agamemnon and Cassandra? Are they lovers or victor and victim?

If you are expecting poetics on a grand scale, this may not be for you, as the poetic rhythm exists as an undercurrent that softens the ordinary language rather than build on it – to hear it you do have to listen carefully.

If you enjoy the Greek tragedy with a twist and the dark, eerie setting of a post-apocalyptic world then I couldn’t recommend it more. A terrifyingly beautiful play it serves up a healthy dose of the mad and macabre.

Clytemnestra continues at Sherman Cymru until Sat 5 May. Tickets are £15-£25. Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk

#NTW18 Social Media Call - The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning

What makes us come to the decisions make and do the things we do? What influences us? Bradley Manning is accused of making a decision that shook the world, a US soldier and only a few years ago a teenager in Haverfordwest, he is accused of releasing  thousands of US documents to Wikileaks, he faces a maximum life sentence in jail if found guilty and has no chance of parole. His story has touched people across the world and one only has to ‘Google’ him to discover a torrent of support and campaigns for his freedom.

Wednesday I attended the first NTW Social Media Call, intrigued I went along, knowing just how controversial the subject matter for NTW18 is. What I found was what makes NTW the theatre company it is: unique, intense and passionate theatre unafraid to address wider issues and still retain a sensitivity to the subject. At it's heart, this play is about Manning; - a misunderstood, rebellious and intelligent teenager and young man who became something akin to an anti-hero.

A semi-fictional account of Manning's life, the production mixes together his teenage life in Haverfordwest and life in the US Army. There are soldier's to direct you to your seats, but they behave far more like teachers.

The main stage space is surrounded by pillar's of  screen's, throughout the performance they display a multitude of images steering the audience from location to location: from Iraqi war images, army base and prison cell to snippets of the live streaming chat and web coverage of Manning's plight. They are also put into clever use by the cast as as prop's.






  





This is a snippet of rehersal's as they ran through scene's and cue's:

Institutions is the name of the game here as NTW exploit every potential in Tasker Milward, Cardiff High and Connah's Quay Schools. Just walking into Cardiff High to watch rehearsals was weird enough of a feeling, it's narrow, claustraphobic and dark corridors. The locations cotribute to the feelings of uniformity and being given orders. In his life, Bradley Manning, has gone from one institution to another: school, army and currently prison.

A play with a difference, the audiencce is not confined to the corridors or assembly hall's of schools. Fully hyper-conected you can join in on a live webcast of some performances, taking part in a forum and even having some comments displayed on the screen's during the play.

The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning continue's until 21st April in Cardiff before moving on to Flintshire. 
For more information visit: http://nationaltheatrewales.org or search #NTW18.

Clytemnestra - Rehersal Preview & Social Media Call

Tues 10 April

Invited by the Sherman to a Social Media Call, I was excited at the prospect of peeking behind closed doors. Clytemnestra is one of the first in house Sherman plays since its February re-opening.  

Rather intriguingly I caught them going over the intricacies of one particular scene, where Aegisthus meets Clytemnestra for the first time and the furies finally grow quiet. This particular scene seemed to embody the entire play: a dark, post-apocalyptic atmosphere accentuated by loud, bone-chilling music with the Furies whispering devil’s thoughts of pain and anger to the character’s – heightening their emptions. The Furies, played by Nia Gwynne and Adam Redmore, are as constant on the stage as the main characters – representing their subconscious and driving them to revenge, as Director Amy Hodge explains. Whilst the Furies do lend the play its movement focus and physicality it is not all choreography and dance as the play is full of rich poetic language and the “Classical, normal, dramatic angle” where it utilises the traditional Chorus form.

A highly controversial character in Greek mythology, Clytemnestra is at once wronged wife and victim, an adulteress, distraught mother and a murderer. Married to Agamemnon, the sacker of Troy, legend has her killing him at the behest of her lover Aegisthus. Clytemnestra is played by acclaimed actress Jaye Griffiths.  In this dark, futuristic version toga’s are completely absent, oil has run out and wars are waged over food as human endurance is pushed to its limit by war and hunger. The creative team -Greek Designer takis (yes it is spelt without a capital letter), Composer Simon Thorne; Choreographer John Stjernholm and lighting designer Lee Curran – are all ready to ready to take its dangerous and hungry world to audiences. All to frame the story with dramatic sound (which is quite true at rehearsals) and movement it is a perfect story to create an explosive and imaginative setting.

Listening in, the rehearsals are as fun as they are hard work, apparently 'elegant robot' and 'French and Saunders Run' are technical dance terms as the cast use familiar terms to remember movements and timing.

As Director Amy Hodge assures, “you won’t need to know the Greek myths to understand the play [as] it is very clear and simple story telling” whilst it is inspired by, and the myths are ever present “you could come to it knowing nothing and still be able to track it all…. The story is able to stand on its own in the current climate.” Amy described Clytemnestra as a “Beautiful piece of work, it is saying important things, exploiting the potential of the theatrical form and it is hugely ambitious.”

An intriguing, challenging and brilliant looking play, I am keen to see it next week.

Clytemnestra is showing at Sherman Cymru 18 April-5 May.
Tickets are available here and remember under 25s tickets are half price

Questions asked of Director Amy Hodge by fellow blogger Katie Brown (Blog here)