Tag Archives: Doña Croll

The Labyrinth

15 Heroines – The Labyrinth

★★★★

Jermyn Street Theatre Online

The Labyrinth

15 Heroines – The Labyrinth

Online from Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed – 8th November 2020

★★★★

 

“an exciting and ambitious one-take show that provides a voice to an important range of mythological women”

 

The past is full of forgotten women. Women who did not have the means to tell their story; women who were not seen as important enough to warrant any attention; and women who were dead before anyone even thought to care. At the turn of millennium, the ancient Roman poet Ovid sought to rectify this by producing a series of epistolary poems written from the perspective of the heroines of ancient mythology in address to the heroic lovers who had wronged them.

15 Heroines, directed by Adjoa Andoh, Tom Littler and Cat Robey, dramatises the lives of these aggrieved women through a sequence of powerful monologues taking direct inspiration from Ovid’s work. The Labyrinth, one of three sets of five in the series, links together Ariadne, Phaedra, Phyllis, Hypsipyle and Medea through their respective entanglements with the Greek heroes Theseus and Jason.

The play begins with a set of title cards explaining the ancient nature of the forthcoming stories and the context of Ovid’s work. ‘String’ by Bryony Lavery is the first episode, in which a pyjama-clad Ariadne (Patsy Ferran) recants her ruthless abandonment on Naxos by Theseus after she aided him in slaying her half-brother the Minotaur. ‘String’ is the apt starting point for these tales of woe, as the performance highlights how these women are all inextricably connected through the men who have hurt them. Thread moreover has a special meaning in ancient mythology. The thread of life of every mortal on earth is controlled by a trio of goddesses called the Fates, but, here, the spindle is placed in the hands of an aggrieved woman.

The second monologue sees Ariadne’s sister, Phaedra (Doña Croll), muse on what it means to be human and the monstrous nature of desire. This is followed by a lament by Phyllis (Nathalie Armin), the abandoned wife of Theseus’ son Demophon, whose attire resembles the almond tree which grows on her burial site after she commits suicide due to her husband’s desertion. The final two monologues delivered by Hypsipyle (Olivia Williams) and Medea (Nadine Marshall) respectively explore their devastating love affairs with the hero Jason.

Armin is a stand-out performer, injecting great emotion into her speech. The whole cast command the stage excellently, and Croll is particularly captivating in her delivery and presence. The ordering of Ariadne, Phaedra and Phyllis works well, clearly highlighting the multi-generational damage that Theseus and his family have inflicted on these women.

The costumes and associated characterisation of the heroines is good, often mirroring other types of women ‘lost’ to history. Hypsipyle is reimagined as a middle-aged ‘wine mum’ who begins her scene by drafting an awkward email to her ex-lover. Phaedra is a glamorous woman straight out of the 1920s, decked out in a gold cocktail dress, and a far cry from her hysterical mythological counterpart. Phyllis’ elaborate headpiece made of twigs, leaves and flowers is particularly fabulous, and her costume most clearly places her in the mystical world of myth.

There are few props or set pieces, save a suitcase for Ariadne, a desk for Hypsipyle and a lounger for Phaedra. The set itself is rather simple, with different coloured sheets and lights used to change the backdrop. This is at its most exciting during Aridane’s piece when it is completely bare, the wave-like wooden shelves mimicking the ocean that Theseus sailed away on (Louie Whitemore).

The Labyrinth is an exciting and ambitious one-take show that provides a voice to an important range of mythological women. After the cast’s fantastic performances, it will be difficult to forget these women anytime soon.

 

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Photography by Marc Brenner

 


15 Heroines – The Labyrinth

Online via jermynstreettheatre.co.uk until 14th November

 

Last ten shows reviewed by Flora:
Jekyll & Hyde | ★★★½ | The Vaults | February 2020
Minority Report | ★★★½ | The Vaults | February 2020
The Six Wives Of Henry VIII | ★★★ | King’s Head Theatre | February 2020
Julius Caesar | ★★★★ | The Space | March 2020
The Haus Of Kunst | ★★★ | The Vaults | March 2020
Big Girl | ★★★ | Bread & Roses Theatre | September 2020
Pippin | ★★★★ | The Garden Theatre | September 2020
All By Myself | ★★½ | Online | October 2020
How to Live a Jellicle Life | ★★★★ | Lion & Unicorn Theatre | October 2020
Howerd’s End | ★★★½ | Golden Goose Theatre | October 2020

 

Click here to see our most recent reviews

 

Killing It

Killing It

★★★★

VAULT Festival 2020

Killing It

Killing It

Network Theatre

Reviewed – 25th February 2020

★★★★

 

“you wouldn’t expect a play about dealing with grief to be funny, but this one is”

 

Sometimes dark comedy can come from pain, as a way of coping, as catharsis or simply as something that happens. Writer Josephine Starte says: “Then a close friend died suddenly and depression turned into layers of grief: hysteria, disbelief, panic, despondency. Being this heartbroken seemed like something that could easily ruin my life, and my impulse was to write about it, to take back a little control.”

And Killing It is the result. Three women try to cope with the loss of a loved one in different ways, doing what works for them, or trying to. They support each other, not always understanding, but wanting all of them to find a way of being that works. The girlfriend, Molly, played by Starte, has turned her grief into a standup act, much as in real life she has fuelled this fine piece of writing. Molly is funny, warm and likeable, sometimes stepping out to share her thoughts with the audience; pieces from her show. Doña Crol is the mother, channeling her energy into making YouTube videos about flower arranging, and the grandmother is the fabulous Janet Henfrey, full of mischief and plotting to assassinate the president. Three ages of women, three different ways of coping. There is strength, vulnerability, laughter and weeping on stage, and plenty of laughter and a few tears from the audience too. Director Lily McLeish’s decision to have three sections of stage, each inhabited by one woman, gives a sense of their aloneness, a place they return too after being with each other. Anna Reid’s set frames these three areas, creating believable environments that complement the characters of the women and their interactions, helped by Anthony Doran’s lighting and Julian Starr’s sound.

Perhaps you wouldn’t expect a play about dealing with grief to be funny, but this one is. It’s also full of feeling and warmth. It was a pleasure to see two older women on stage, especially Henfrey, who is in her eighties, and refreshing that a young woman can write so well for older characters.

 

Reviewed by Katre

 

VAULT Festival 2020

 

 

Click here to see all our reviews from VAULT Festival 2020