“manages to make themes of grief, suicide and guilt an entertaining and even humorous affair”
It’s fringe festival time again! Now, it is Clapham’s turn in holding the torch, offering new work from emerging artists in the South London area. One such piece being showcased is Testament – a short but affecting drama that combines humour with sober reality, and naturalism with the surreal inner workings of our heads.
Max is in hospital. He’s in hospital after having tried to commit suicide. He tried to commit suicide due to the devastation of the death of his girlfriend, Tess. She died in a car crash they were both in, along with his brother Chris. When Max wakes up from his failed suicide attempt in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed, he is adamant that Tess is still alive. In a cloud of hallucinations and confusion, as a result of the damage made to his brain, Max is questioning what happened to Tess, as well as his own mortality. While the Doctor and Chris are trying all they can to save him, in the present world, Max is in the middle of an abstract dream, where modernised biblical characters appear, pushing and pulling him between surviving or giving up the fight. What will Max choose? Does he still have it in him to pull through?
What makes this production such a delight to behold, is the highly imaginative and visceral staging and choreography that represents the non-linear, jumbled memories of protagonist Max. The abstract physical theatre is a welcomed contrast to the realism of the scenes between the Doctor and brother Chris. Hats off to the cast and directors Sam Edmunds and Patrick Harrison, for being able to manoeuvre around the tiny stage at The Bread and Roses while executing the frenzied movements with such precision.
A stand out scene that leaves the whole audience laughing is the abstract re-enactment of a lads night out: the getting ready, the taxi ride, the club and the funny strangers you meet along the way. The scene demonstrates the quality of Edmunds’ writing – able to handle comedy with as much competence as the more thoughtful, serious scenes. Edmunds proves his ability as a writer (particularly of everyday conversations) is as strong as his eye for the physical staging.
The high energy pace makes the majority of the fifty-five minute running time move very quickly, however the last quarter does seem to lose a little steam. This is the climax where Max is making a literal life or death decision so it does make sense that this monumental choice needs the space to be made.
All of the cast pull out the stops in Testament, with each member offering a different element to the production. Whether it be truth and believability, or comic relief, all actors prove a commitment in the facet they are providing. An exciting piece of new writing, Testament manages to make themes of grief, suicide and guilt an entertaining and even humorous affair, without ever losing its honesty about human emotions.
“A likeness to Hamilton comes to mind for the opening number, It’s A Myth, with its element of a sung/spoken narrative”
The relationship between mother and daughter can be quite a complicated one. Even more tricky to navigate when you are both immortal Gods. In new pop/rock musical Mythic by Marcus Stevens (book/lyrics) and Oran Eldor (music/orchestrations), this is just the case. A wittily-written, modern twist on thousand year old Greek myths, turns the Gods into rock stars, Hollywood royalty, It-girls and power-mad politicians – the type of celebrities that we are consumed by in the 21st-century. Mythic is a fun-filled, energetically infectious show that gives old tales a fresh retelling.
Demeter, Goddess of the Earth and harvest, has spent the last thousand years exiled from Olympus, where the other Gods hang out, due to having such boring, inadequate powers. Now, living mainly among mortals and her harvest nymphs, she has come to appreciate her life away from the party-going, drama-filled, celebrity culture of the Gods. Her daughter Persephone, however, doesn’t see it that way. She feels suffocated by boredom, living the life of a recluse. Spending her time reading magazines about the other Gods, she daydreams how the other half lives. She wants to find her own path. One day Persephone’s had enough and decides to gatecrash Zeus’ party on Mount Olympus. After bumping into party girl Aphrodite, she finds her way into the heart of the celebrations. It doesn’t take long before she has caught the eye of the bad boy of Gods, Hades, a misunderstood soul, who inadvertently traps her in the Underworld. Mythic turns into a tale of finding yourself, the endurance of a mother’s love, and inner courage that speaks to both ancient and modern times.
Georgie Westall as Persephone is certainly one to watch for the future, showing real personality yet truthfulness within her delivery. Much can be said the same for Daniella Bowen playing her mother Demeter, whose comic timing, particularly in the song What Mother’s Have to Do, comes across natural and unforced. Strong performances are executed from the whole cast. Even the ensemble are given individual moments to shine and stand out, which is rare.
A simple yet effective use of set and costumes, designed by Lee Newby, offers an amalgamation of ancient influences with modern-day edginess that helps to define the shows theme of reinvention.
The songs that feature definitely help to drive the story forward rather than bringing it to a halt. They aren’t the most memorable tunes in the world, but nevertheless, there most certainly isn’t any that seem weak, and it enables the cast to show off their belting chops. Stevens’ book and lyrics are laden with chuckle worthy material, even if lyrics at times are simplistic and one-dimensional. A likeness to Hamilton comes to mind for the opening number, It’s A Myth, with its element of a sung/spoken narrative, regaling the history of the Greek Gods.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining new musical that has the potential to move onto bigger venues and reach larger audiences.
