Review: EURYDICE Is An Unusual Alternate Look At The Greek Love Story

Mad March Hare Theatre Company and Red Line Productions' interpretation of Sarah Ruhl's EURYDICE explores a daughter's love for her father. Directed by Claudia Barrie, this work, written in 2004, is a bizarre contemporary twist on the classic tale of Orpheus and Eurydice presented with Eurydice as the central focus.

Whilst the traditional Greek mythology focuses on Eurydice's lover and husband's quest for his deceased wife, using his music to enter the under world and do a deal with Hades, Ruhl's interpretation presents the world from Eurydice's motivations and control. Whilst the original stories have Eurydice (Ebony Vagulans) and Orpheus (Lincoln Vickery) as a newly married young couple Ruhl adds the challenge of different interests which could be classified as obsessions. Despite her devoted love for Orpheus, Eurydice misses her father (Jamie Oxembould) who died some time before the story starts and longs to be able to communicate with him. The Lord of the Underworld (Nicholas Papademetriou), who has taken a shine to the young bride, lures her with a letter from her father from the underworld. With a repeated theme of water representing death and the washing away of memories as it brings peace to the mind, Eurydice enters the darker Underworld where she is reunited with her father though she is not initially cognisant of the stranger's connection to her. As he teaches her about her past and reminds her of her love of books and words she also starts to remember her lost husband still alive above. The Greek Chorus of "Stones" (Alex Malone, Ariandne Scouros, and Megan Wilding) and their puppets that appear from below seek to recap the events and also scold Eurydice for being too loud. Whilst Orpheus still pines for Eurydice Ruhl shifts the control to have the decisions be more dependent on Eurydice's choices than being a result of doubt and lack of trust on Orpheus' part.

Set and costume designer has created a raised timber plank stage and backdrop which feature hatches and sliding doors out of the timber which prove to be the portal between the worlds of the living and the dead. The raised stage serves to allow the Stones to appear from beneath the depts of the Underworld whilst the hatches on the backdrop open to reveal Orpheus' recitation of his thoughts from the land of the living above. Ben Brockman's lighting provides the biggest indication of location with warm orange 'sun' representing events that occur above and blue lights, often dappled like light through water, represents the aquatic underworld of the dead. Whilst the audience meet the couple as they enjoy a day at the beach the majority of the story plays out with Eurydice dressed as she was on her death day, her wedding day for which Eurydice dons a 1950's full skirted dress. Orpheus is a scruffy hipster whilst Eurydice's father wears a three-piece suit. The Lord of the Underworld goes from absurd to grotesque in his transition from trying to fit in above and growing from a tricycle toddler to a man with a perpetual animal skull headed puppet on his shoulder. The Stones are an unusual trio of similarly suited women who express themselves with the aid of puppets of themselves.

Vagulans is endearing as the young Eurydice. Presented with a natural voice Vagulans give the young woman an innocence whilst still having a maturity to conduct thoughtful conversations and express the love and devotion to both her father and her husband. Vickery's Orpheus is somewhat of a brooding hipster as the composer contemplates how to find his lover again. Oxenbould's interpretation of Eurydice's father is caring and measured whilst Papademetriou is over the top and flamboyant and sinster as the Lord of the Underworld. Malone, Wilding and Sgouros are amusing as the chorus of catty Stones even though their role does come across as somewhat absurd and potentially just placed to pad the production.

An intriguing and unusual look at Greek mythology blended with Ruhl's own tribute to her late father, EURYDICE explores the power of love for both the living and the dead. Whilst somewhat absurd and a little over laboured which could be rectified with some tightening, this work covers a lot of concepts including grief, faith, doubt and decisions as Ruhl makes the refreshing choice to give the woman the power to decide her fate with her actions.

EURYDICE

https://www.redlineproductions.com.au/eurydice/