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.
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)
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