Review: THE ODYSSEY: THE UNDERWORLD, National Theatre

On the fifth anniversary of Public Acts, The National Theatre have gone even grander than in the past. The project, a five-part epic that brought together the communities of Stoke, Doncaster, Trowbridge, and Sunderland, has finally reached London to conclude the story. It’s a colossal project. Nearly 200 people joined six professional actors, musicians, and freelance artists to recreate Homer’s Odyssey. Rewritten by Chris Bush with original music by Jim Fortune, it’s directed with a gorgeous vision by Emily Lim.

After a clever prologue of sorts to catch the audience up, we see Odysseus held captive by Calypso on an island permanently surrounded by impenetrable fog. It’s a flashy seaside resort. With loud neons and Amy Booth-Steel as a positively garish mistress of ceremonies, it’s almost nightmarish. On Ithaca, Odysseus’s son Telemachus, now all grown up, is plotting his mother’s rescue while Athena tries to protect him. After his pleading to the gods on Mount Olympus, they agree to set her free, but not without one last trial: she must go through the land of the dead and confront her fallen soldiers before she goes back home.

The creative team sets the action in an ambiguous time. Period-like armours and weapons coexist with dungarees and Wi-Fi, making the show quite quirky and random in some parts, heightening its accessibility and engaging nature. Odysseus’s final stretch comes off as an accessory to the big themes that are explored. Bush highlights the importance of family, remembrance, and endurance with intricate brushstrokes in the text, while Fortune adds a jazzy, folky score with catchy pop accents.

The visuals are an abundance of detail, and the production is worth it for Fly Davis’s costume design alone. Her work reaches its peak during the sparkly, glittery surprise party for Zeus. It’s a feast for the eyes and soul. If the company was coded with warm tones and earthy neutrals previously, Davis goes all in with this central scene. The personality of each god comes to life with idiosyncratic flair and a stunning outfit to match.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster is an understated Odysseus, strong but unafraid to crumble and fight once she realises what she’s left behind. She has the show stolen right off her nose by Zubin Varla and Emma Prendergast as Hades and Athena. They’re forces of nature. Varla especially is an unexpected treat as he struts around in platform boots, evening gloves, and a floor-length chiffon dress paired with a delightfully grim wig. 

On the other hand, Prendergast is a breath of fresh air as the grounded, loving mentor to Telemachus. Her singing voice is just incredible. Her adult pupil is played by Tarinn Callender, whose character’s relentless courage alters the fate of his mother. Victoria Hamilton-Barritt completes the professionals with a striking Poseidon. While the experts are all impressive in their own right, it’s the ensemble moments that make the success of the production.

Movement Director Dan Canham succeeds in avoiding the huge chorus crowding Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey’s set in a disorderly manner. Every member of the company brings their best to create an all-around remarkable performance. From the little kids to the older performers, it’s exciting to see what can be done when resources are used to include the community in a large-scale multi-venue project like this. It’s encouraging to realise that, sometimes, the taxpayers are funding ventures that truly matter.

The Odyssey: The Underworld runs at The National Theatre until 28 August.

Photo credit: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg 

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