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June 15th 2023
For millennia, the tale of cunning Odysseus, and his troubled voyage home from the long Trojan war, has been told and retold. Down through the ages we have been thrilled to hear of his valour, his prowess in enduring beguiling enchantresses and overcoming enemies until Odysseus the Hero finally returns, after twenty years’ absence, to his patiently waiting Penelope.
In this production, we were interested in exploring archetypes, as archetypes are thoughts that shape our world. Odysseus may be courageous, wise, strong and a beloved leader, but he is also a murderer, adulterer, and taker of crazy risks… and we wondered if there was a way to look at the character from a different angle. What happens if we get rid of Odysseus and his legendary presence and focus instead in the effect he has on those around him, especially the women?
With our cast of intrepid actors from Years 8 and 9, we set out to explore new ways of acting and new ways to communicate with an audience. We were inspired by our friends Splendid Theatre, frequent visitors to us here at Farnborough Hill, who have shared their Epic Theatre techniques with us, and wrote this script; and then our creative crew took these ideas beyond the seas they know and made them their own.
We played on a Traverse stage, that is, with the audience on both sides; we multiroled, we interacted with the audience (including some intrepid members of senior staff) and we invited audience members to take part.
We were intent on creating a very visual style of theatre, making marvellous images and presenting pictures. We saw Polyphemus and his sheep, some very indignant Laestrygonian Giants, and we witnessed the creation of monsters of the deep Scylla and Charybdis in front of our eyes…we encountered the women in Odysseus’ life; Circe, Calypso and his wife Penelope. The Old Man of the Sea led us through the whole journey in Greek Chorus style (with inspired improvisation). We were determined that our work would be visually impactful and entertaining, and clear even for a deaf person. We used physical theatre to make shapes with our bodies, and used elements of Sign Language to make our storytelling vivid.
The audience was challenged to reconsider ideas they may hold about examples they follow and archetypes they take for granted; the actors themselves have also been on a voyage of discovery, as their comments show. They have really created something special, and they will remember this achievement for many years to come.
Katie (8ω) commented:
I loved taking part in the Odyssey, it was not just any normal play and I loved to learn about the sign language. The energy that came with all the actors was outstanding and it really helped with my acting skills.
