Electra

It was certainly a bold decision to stage something different from the usual Amateur drama fare of comedy and murder mysteries and it presents fresh challenges for the Director and the cast. Greek tragedy is a particular stylised form of theatre with usually a tragic protagonist, spoken narration from principals, and repetitive chanting in unison by a Chorus of onlookers in a ritualistic celebration dedicated to the Gods. They usually are set in a single location with much of the real action off stage and narrated by the onstage characters. Nick Payne’s modernised adaption of Electra, originally written by Sophocles around 400BC, follows these principles but focuses on the family’s response to the events that happened over ten to twenty years before. 

Quince Players production used projected video to set the time of day and to explain the back story in a Star Wars like scroll of text and video inserts which sought to the bring clarity to the narrative. They have a Chorus of five voices to chant and respond as the details of the back stories are narrated and the events of the present unfold. It captured the spirit of Greek Tragedy while giving it a more updated modern feel. The core familial relationship between the mother, Clytemnestra and her children Electra, Orestes and Chrysothemis are acted out on the terrace of the Palace overlooking the sea. 

The script with its narrated exposition creates a slow exploration of the relationships which only occasionally bursts into dramatic changes in tone but very little on stage action and requires the cast to convey their feelings through their voice projection, facial expressions, and use of their hands from relatively static blocking. This presents the cast with a real challenge in sustaining the audiences’ interest, even on the ninety-minute running time but the Quince Players cast do a good job with the material.

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