An historic Greek love story, this present presents the ur-lesbian of the poetic canon, however not as we all know her. Sappho bursts out of Sixth-century BC trying like a clubber, grooving to synthesised beats.
Written by Wendy Beckett and initially carried out in Greek, it enacts an alternate historical past in Lesbos as Sappho’s poetry is mixed with music and dance on a set that spangles with silver and gold: this could possibly be a themed “historic Greek” evening on the Ministry of Sound.
Co-directed by Beckett and Adam Fitzgerald, the ancient-modern mashup brings enjoyable, froth and attraction however sadly the assorted elements, as progressive as they’re, don’t cling collectively.
The story brings Sappho’s same-sex passions into battle along with her household’s calls for. She needs to put in writing poetry and love ladies; they wish to prepare a wedding of comfort to a highborn man so she will be able to climb the social ladder, into the elite class of Athens.
On the coronary heart of it’s Sappho’s love story – she has change into enamoured of a girl from afar who we solely see dancing. However the drama is derailed by unpenetrating debates on democracy, freedom of expression, governance, the marital contract and social change, all artificially tacked on. Aphorisms from Socrates and Aristotle are thrown in in addition to passing mentions of sophistication, privilege, Brexit and Rwanda, none of it explored.
A refrain chips in with chants and writhes or crawls expressionistically. All of this units the story off-kilter and takes away from an in any other case promising play. It’s a disgrace that the script is so convoluted and the characters cartoonish as a result of the sparkly fashionable optics work nicely, the musical compositions by Mehdi Bourayou are catchy, the choreography by Fotis Diamantopoulos playful and the performances beguiling.
Georgie Fellows has an earnest depth as Sappho, Velile Tshabalala’s Aphrodite makes fabulous entrances out of silver and gold curtains held up by the refrain, and Emmanuel Akwafo is a gloriously camp narrator who appears to be like as if he has sashayed away from Drag Race. Eleanor Kane brings a candy vulnerability to the slim character of Adore, Sappho’s object of want.
Even at underneath an hour and a half, it feels lengthy however with reshaping, it could but be become gold.
