The Penelopiad

It’s been said that history is written by the victors, in as much as the winners of any conflict or dispute tend to shape how such events are recorded and remembered.  There are no doubt plenty of historians who would dispute such a generalisation, so it’s probably less controversial to suggest that history is usually written by men, and/or from the perspective of men.  Homer’s “Odyssey” tells the story of Odysseus’s extraordinary ten year journey back from the Trojan War, packed with heroic deeds and exaggerated adventures, but what of Penelope, his wife patiently awaiting his return to Ithaca?  Margaret Atwood is renowned for her ability to amplify the female voice, and in “The Penelopiad” she challenges the patriarchal and misogynistic viewpoint of Homer’s epic poem by retelling the story from Penelope’s perspective.  The chorus of maids acts out the narrative, and sing and dance “odes” which give insight into the maids’ plight.

This production was very much a collaborative endeavour: many of the creative team and the actors involved had worked with the director before, which may well have contributed to the feeling of mutual trust and togetherness emanating from the stage.  The set featured a raised area upstage – a private inner sanctum and the seat of power; the downstage area was surrounded by simple bench seating, and crowded with a rich assortment of properties which provided both context, such as the earthenware jars, and practical flexibility, such as the multi-purpose wooden boxes.  The entire cast was on stage more or less throughout, and the actors stepped in and out of their roles with practised efficiency, so that the narrative unfolded with both pace and inevitability, and there was a real sense of teamwork.

The atmosphere of the underworld was established largely through music and soundscapes, the latter using female voices to evoke tormented spirits to powerful and unsettling effect.  The composer was also the choreographer, which meant that music and movement were precisely matched, with highly stylised poses sequenced to suggest the imagery found on pottery and frescos.  The costumes drew on the same earthy colour palette as the set; there was a unifying style to the individual costume designs, and base outfits were augmented by appropriate accessories – a crown for a king, deeper colours and finer fabrics for the powerful and wealthy, coarser cloth and simpler patterns for the servants.  The various elements of the design complemented each other perfectly, and overall this was one of the most coherent and well-executed presentations I have seen in a long while.

Penelope herself was expertly portrayed, but the greatest strength of the production lay in the chorus; this was a suite of individuals rather than a matching set of clones, and the choreographed movements often allowed for subtle variations in timing and execution.  There was both unity and harmony in the songs, with powerful melodies and secure part-singing, clear diction and impressive dynamic variation.  Everything that the chorus did felt significant and symbolic, and the director augmented this with some powerful imagery.  The way in which the shroud woven by Penelope rose very slowly from behind the raised platform gave a strong impression of years passing, while the execution of the maids was depicted by a dozen nooses let down from the roof above the stage – a shocking vision of brutality.

There were moments of humour and hope here too.  The infant Penelope being saved by ducks gave the chorus an opportunity to enjoy themselves, and certainly raised a smile in the auditorium.  Penelope’s leadership and fidelity during her husband’s long absence provided an exemplar of the intelligent and moral use of authority, and reminded us that exaggerated tales of derring-do are rarely true representations of what actually happened, particularly from the viewpoint of the poor, or the powerless … or women.  The audience was certainly given plenty to think about on their way home.  This was a coherent, well-staged and finely acted ensemble piece with an important story to tell, and which somehow embedded the values it espouses in the production itself.  What more could you ask for? 

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.