EDINBURGH 2023: Review: ANDRONICUS SYNECDOCHE, ZOO Southside

There’s loads of theatre at the Fringe. Some is excellent, some is average, some is… questionable. Polish company Song of the Goat present a retelling of Shakeseare’s Titus Andronicus in what could simply be described as a gothic, choral, impenetrable behemoth of a production. It’s transfixing for all the wrong reasons.

Grzegorz Bral has a striking approach to the subject and a precise vision: his show is very physical and serious, quite Berliner Ensemble-ish and avant-garde, but with very little meaning to it.

A chorus of a dozen or so actors chant in - one assumes - Polish with some Latin thrown in for good measure as they tell a tale of treason and revenge. It’s an exceptionally visceral perspective, but it’s unnecessarily crude in language and tone. Women are manhandled and used as tools when they’re not just beings to tame; masculinity is portrayed with brutal, guttural sounds as well as elegant movements that display power; men rape and fight and die barbarously. There is a graceful sophistication to it all that makes us question the cognitive dissonance we experience.

The performers sing beautifully, voices rising as one or in perfect harmonies. Black eyeliner is expertly smudged, costumes are minimal black co-ords, rather sporty (especially the women's) but sleek. They move with precision, delivering the plot figuratively with broad brushstrokes while Marcus (perhaps Bral himself?) narrates it for the audience. There’s plenty of interesting imagery and curious tableaux, but the piece is disturbing - and not in a positive way. 

The N-word is dropped twice, casually, nonchalantly. While we may be too alert to this type of missteps, this is only an example of the multiple faux pas. It’s a shame, the show looks incredible. Its style is curated and clearly exhibits a decisive, uncompromising concept. It would make for an extraordinary project, if it were applied with more sensitivity and care.

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