Fabulous Creatures, Arcola Theatre Review
Written by Philip for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Based around two Greek myths, Fabulous Creatures weaves together the tales of Siren, Scylla and Charybdis as told by Homer in the Odyssey and Clytemnestra from Aeschylus’ Oresteia and Euripides’ Iphigenia in Aulis. The piece shows who these fabulous creatures are and why they are thrust together. Through song, dance and speech we hear about the monsters with stories of female empowerment and sisterhood, of the ultimate battle of survival and a blood lust that runs deep. They are all changed to fit other beings’ agendas. But they are here and live for your entertainment. From killing to cabaret what more could you ask for? A meeting with Clytemnestra sets our monsters on a journey for justice.
Written by Emily Louizou and Quentin Beroud, Fabulous Creatures has you laughing from the very first minute. The book is fun and full of passion. It keeps you smiling while challenging the concept of the Monsters and ultimately delving into monsters being the myth. Are they really as bad as history has made them out to be? Or were they just dealt a bad hand? Louizou and Beround rise to the plate and valiantly battle to tell the stories of the misfortunate creatures from long ago and how they maybe weren’t quite as bad as previous authors had made out. Paired with the gaze of a modern audience it’s easy to see how these fabulous female creatures were perhaps just fighting for sisterhood and the justice it deserved.
Along with writing, Louizou also directed the show. Utilising a small space incredibly well, Louizou made sure the pace was fast enough to keep you entertained while slowing down for moments of sadness, humour and of course the sinister sections. Combined with movement and choreography by Ioli Filippakopoulou there is a brilliant freshness. Each character has their own way of moving around the stage. The choreographed sections are joyous and keep the piece fun and fresh.
The music is by Irene Skylakaki, with lyrics by Quentin Beround. It is kooky and humorous for the most part. You smile and laugh as the music sweeps you along ever staying in the style of the book before veering wildly for each song during the cabaret. It is effective and helps break up the narrative.
Costume and Set Design by Ismini Papaioannou is also very well done. Each signature look for the monsters play on aspects of their looks with scales, feathers and fur utilised to fully differentiate our monsters. The set is very simple but helps paint a picture of where we are in the story without stealing focus.
However, it is our storytellers that really brings this to life. All four characters are unconventional and somewhat outlandish. They are fiery and hilarious in equal measure. Hannah van der Westhuysen plays Charybdis with steely determination and huge main character energy. Acting as host, they show real leadership qualities. They are captivating as the leader of the pack. Jazz Jenkins plays Siren with real charm. Often playing second fiddle to Charybdis, Siren is strong in her own right. Jenkins shows a more delicate side of being a monster while being quietly powerful. Our trio is completed by Kate Newman who plays both Scylla and Clytemnestra. Her Scylla is the most kooky of the fabulous creatures on display. Writhing around the room you cannot help but giggle. She has an infectious energy. Clytemnestra on the other hand is a woman fighting for her life. She has a deadly edge. Newman shows real range and expertly balances the two characters she is tasked with playing.
I, for one, am a big fan of Fabulous Creatures. If you want a night of fun, laughs and showing the power of sisterhood then this is definitely for you! Fabulous Creatures runs at the Arcola Theatre until 15th June 2024
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
