New version of Homer's Odyssey at Q Theatre

Ithaca, by Tom Sainsbury, Mike Edward, Eve Gordon and Hadley Taylor
A Dust Palace and Q Theatre Production
Q Theatre
Until December 19

Homer’s Odyssey, on which Ithaca is based was probably something of a science fiction tale in its day. Combining heroic characters, voyages into the unknown, encountering alien creatures and dealing with different physical, moral and social environments would have expanded the views of the Greeks of three thousand years ago.

So it seems appropriate to set a contemporary version in the future where interplanetary travel and exploring tests the limits of human possibilities.

Ithaca tells the story of Odysseus’ voyage from Troy back to his home in Ithaca to be reunited with his wife, Penelope. However, the voyage takes 10 years as he and his crew encounter gods, disasters, strange lands and creatures.

What writers Tom Sainsbury and his collaborators, Mike Edward, Eve Gordon and Hadley Taylor have done is combine the cleverly edited story and grafted on a series of cabaret and circus acts to the tale, providing a mixture of entertaining and dramatic sequences. This creates a visual poetry to accompany the poetry of the original; as well as the soundscape which combines some reimagined Johnny Cash songs (Matthias Jordan and Jol Mulholland)  and music by composed by Eve Gordon and Mike Edwards (them, again).

The audience are seated a la cabaret style at tables and are initially supplied with champagne, oysters, nuts and olives but, as the evening proceeds, out come a series of other canapes and desserts – so no need to have dinner first.

Ithaca is mainly set on the bridge of the spaceship Argo, with the occasional foray out into space to encounter alien creatures and adventures. Presiding over the ship is Odysseus, played by Mike Edward (him again) and his first mate Antero played by Hadley Taylor (yes, him) and the robotic 1900 (Geof Gilson).

Most Cirque du Soleil productions take a similar approach of having a story or theme which is supposed to link all the performances – they rarely do.  With Ithaca there is an attempt to integrate the various acts using trapeze, rings, straps ropes and other props. Most of the time the performances fuse with the text, and music brilliantly and there is a drama and emotional power to them. Only occasionally do the performers get lost in their acrobatic abilities.

But they are always entertaining, pushing themselves to levels of effort that enthrall and mesmerise.

A notice at the door alerted people to the hazards of smoke haze, strobe lighting and nudity but failed to mention the hazard of low-flying acrobats, with bodies whirling dangerously close to audience members.

There are some standout performances with Carlin Brown in a couple of roles showing an extraordinary strength and agility, his muscles and sinews giving him the appearance of a well hewn sculpture.

The Lotus Eaters duo of Rochelle Mangan and Edward Clendon seemed to be like a pair of cavorting deities with their brilliant flexing and intertwining.

Performing as the Hydra, Rochelle Mangan gave an intense feral performance as she transfixed the crew. Her elaborate body contortions and handstands were elegantly performed, so that movement and music was fully integrated with the narrative of the drama.

Xerxe (Circe) the temptress in the original story is here presented by Edward Glendon as an hermaphrodite. His raunchy performance draped in fish net was close to burlesque, with several audience members exposed to close contact with sweaty flesh.

Ithaca manages to be more than the normal circus/theatre/burlesque type show revealing an intelligent approach where all the elements of text, song, and music and world class performances come together in a performance of operatic dimensions.  

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