Privileging the Regulars: Trojan Women at the Jack Studio Theatre

 

I've developed  an addiction to Greek drama. It 'privileges' the regular viewer, just like a TV soap. At first it makes little sense - overwrought characters ranting on about horrific crimes committed elsewhere, backed up by a chorus. Mainly they blame fate, but more often they name names, which over time stand for abstract concepts such as courage and beauty  - Hector and Agamemnon, Helen and Cassandra. Some you know about, some you get to know, but eventually, when you've seen a few episodes,  they become familiar. You get caught up in the multiple  storylines.

 

The Trojan Women is set in the aftermath of war. It's the women who are strong, who face with stoicism whatever the gods throw at them, while trying to advise and support the men. As in soaps, their advice tends to go unheeded.  

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This Jack Theatre production was very well done. With Greek drama, success depends a lot on design and choreography, but here the acting was uniformly strong, and the updated script was marvellous, particularly when voicing the soldiers, who'd spent ten weary years fighting the  Trojans.

It's good, too, when the the programme comes in the form of a complete text of the play. I have a friend in Bahrain who's always looking for good scripts for her play-reading group.

My complete review is on the Remotegoat website