Review: Visually Captivating, Ancient Mythology Is Given Contemporary Currency In METAMORPHOSES

Tuesday 13th February 2017, 8pm, Old Fitz Theatre

Mary Zimmerman's Award Winning METAMORPHOSES is presented with intrigue and ingenuity by Dino Dimitriadis (Director). The ancient myths are retold as part of Red Line Productions and Apocalypse theatre Company's contribution to the 40th Anniversary celebrations of Mardi Gras.

Based on Ovid's classic poem, this work presents the stories of love, loss and humanities fallibility with a contemporary twist. Midas is a modern corporate mogul, Phaeton spans two school children and the constraints of gender are generally removed.

Zimmerman's Broadway Production was known for, amongst other things, it's bold use of a water feature. Even with the constraints of the small Old Fitz stage, designer Jonathan Hindmarsh has managed to deliver a pool of water to form the focal point of his utilitarian set of construction scaffolding. Providing a variety of options for Dimitriadis' ten strong cast to sit or hang in the shadows, it also allows for the power to be implied with mischievous and ruthless gods on high and a closer contemplation of the milky depths of the water in which characters discover, die, revive and retreat. Hindmarsh has given the collection of gods and mortals an other worldliness by dressing them, or barely dressing them in some cases, white, black and gold. There is a considerable degree of bare flesh in this work, including full frontal nudity, but it is presented with artistic integrity rather than any voyeuristic intentions.

Benjamin Brockman's lighting allows Zimmerman's characters to retreat into the darkness when not required, or to present unseen voices to narrate the work. Washes of tlight that reach into the theatre bring the audience into the experience and spotlights and fluorescent tubing bars of light provide focus with a final rainbow of light forming a conclusion to the stories of love.

Dimitriadis employs a variety of styles to tell the various stories, from Midas' (Deborah Galanos) bold speech of justification of ambition and obsession with wealth, presented direct to the audience, to Vertumnus' (Jonny Hawkins) cross dressing courtship of Pamona (Hanna Raven) and various narrated stories, delivered by a cycle of ensemble voices. He implies spaces with movement and text, from Ceyx's (Sam Marques) lookout high on the sailing ship mast to Alycone's (Baridya McKinnon) shore side vigil. Providing a perpetual motion and movement of trees in the wind, David Helman' impressive pole work glides with a fascinating grace above the space and down on earth as Midas' beloved daughter.

Regardless of your experience with ancient mythology, METAMORPHOSES is an engaging and interesting expression of stories of love, lust, death, disappointment, greed and greatness.

METAMORPHOSES

8 February - 10 March 2018

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