Photo: Pia Johnson
Euripides’ infamous play The Bacchae premiered in 405 BC, and despite the passage of time, the raw mystery of the work echoes beautifully in this significant reimagining. The original play described the mania induced in a crowd of women by the god Dionysus – the key word being ‘described’. The actions of these women take place largely unseen, only described through the eyes and voices of male characters. Jacobs and her talented teenage cast shift this in dramatic and welcome fashion, placing the women at the centre of the production.
The opening tableau is a thing of terrifying beauty, in which a clingfilm-clad girl appears to give birth to an animal skull. This disquieting scene gives way to the audience’s introduction to Dionysus, who in this production is a teenage girl. Played by Eve Nixon with equal parts disarming charm and menace, she’s concerned with finding a half-decent outfit to wear and whether or not she has enough time to have some toast in the morning – before declaring, ‘I am the god Dionysus, son of Zeus… If you don’t believe me, I’ll punish you.’
There’s very little speech in this production – most of the scenes are wordless, and vocals tend to take the form of either singing or monologues. Instead, the story is shown visually, often through the physicality of the performers, who depict (or describe) scenes of uncertain joy, sexual intrigue and – eventually – outright debauchery. Particular note must be made of Bonnie Brown, who is fearless in her portrayal of a woman who is part instigator, part lackey and part sacrifice.
Partway through the performance, a thought arrived unbidden: there’s power being claimed here. There is a determination here to reclaim the madness, sexuality and hedonism of the bacchae on female terms, to revel in the events unfiltered. The teenage performers slowly transform from their standard appearance to masked, genderbent beings. Their celebrations change accordingly, moving from the sexy dances of video clips to jarring, hypersexualised frenzy. This is not simple theatre, but it is truly powerful, and a welcome addition to the Melbourne Fesitval program.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
The Bacchae
Presented by Theatre Works, St Martins and Melbourne Festival
Conceived by Adena Jacobs and Aaron Orzech
Director: Adena Jacobs
Music: Kelly Ryall
Dramaturg: Aaron Orzech
Set Designer: Dayna Morrissey
Costume Designer: Chloe Greaves
Lighting Designer: Danny Pettingill
Associate Artist: Alex Walker
Music Assistant: Danielle O’Keeffe
Production: Fillament Design
Audio Engineer: Leigh Stout
Performed by members of the St Martins teen ensemble: Bonnie Brown, Tove Due, Eve Fitzgerald, Anouk Gleeson Mead, Cindy Hu, Maima Massaquoi, Romaine McSweeney, Eve Nixon, Bridie Noonan, Lois Scott, Mieke Singh Dodd, Carla Tilley
Vocalist: Freya Boltman
Boy Sopranos: Julian De Marco & Nicholas Dugdale
Pianist & Organist: Xiao Xiao Kingham
Cellist: Sarah Lee
Violinist: Deborah Lee
Vocalist: Bella Noonan
Vocalist & Percussionist: Zofia Witowski Blake
Theatre Works, St Kilda
8-24 October 2015
Melbourne Festival
www.festival.melbourne
8-25 October
