Raving Review for Orestes!

A truly vibrant and atmospheric production of a challenging play is on show at the Southwark Playhouse near, appropriately as it turns out, the London Dungeon. The play tells a story, ancient and modern, of murder and revenge, resistance and retribution, and of the arrival of law, order and democracy. But the arrival of 'civilisation' comes at a price, one that undermines the justice that it seems to bring about.

The play reworks Aeschylus's telling of the story of Orestes, of his murder of his mother, the avenging Furies, and the final reckoning of trial by jury and judicial settlement . It is called Orestes: Re-examined but the story is not just re-examined, it is also re-charged with amazing energy, insight and passion by Full Tilt Theatre Company under the direction of Emma Gersch.The Furies have become outcast Rebels. With these Rebels the young company succeeds where almost all modern productions fail in making a chorus that speaks, moves and sings with collective solidarity and yet also displays individuality. There is also room for the audience to act as individuals as they vote on whether a murderer can be allowed to run the state, and then to consider the actual outcome of their collective decision.

The characterisation of the other side, Authority, is weak. But this is a small shortcoming when compared with the achievement of the chorus of Rebels, victorious and victimised, disturbing and appealing. This is theatre at its best. Intellectually and emotionally this is a play and a performance that are not to be missed.

Bob Catterall

CITY: analysis of urban trends, culture, theory, policy, action