The Trojan Women, Lyric Hammersmith Review
Written by Danai for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own
The Trojan Women presented at The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre by The Bill Cashmore Award, written by Dipo Baruwa-Etti and directed by Roberta Zuric, is based on the homonymous Greek tragedy and is an effort to bring the classic to today's world and address current sociopolitical matters. Even though the intention is genuine and it's always refreshing to see new talent working together, this work doesn't really manage to convince the viewers that this is an impactful story that matters.
The audience gets to see both the privileged Prime Minister, Merlin (Samuel Glyde-Rees) as well as his wife, Hellen (Jessica Rose Saunders) and their team but also the working class and the poor, in a world where food is no longer a given and food banks are there to support the people. Hettie, the councillor as well as Riley, played by the talented Jade Khan and Áine McNamara respectively, are on the frontline, helping, on an ever-ending duty of giving out food. At the same time, the Prime Minister's team is enjoying meals every day and seems to have an increasing hatred for those suffering. The idea of food being the means through which this work will show inequality and class issues is a clever one and could be exploited even more. Having the actors eating on stage is really powerful and the scene where Cameron Goodchild as Potter is forced to eat by his colleagues, played by Michelle San Reis and Lumumba Diessa is one that stands out.
The problem here is the story itself. In a play where not much happens and little action is taking place while loads of talking and exposition are dominant, it gets challenging for the audience to relate or engage to the fullest. The dialogues could use some more organic means of expression and not necessarily give away everything as the audience should be trusted enough to understand not just by hearing but also by experiencing the work. When big events take place, such as the death of Hettie's daughter, there is no impact ever.
Samuel Glyde - Rees as the Prime Minister is excellent and offers beautiful acting moments throughout the show. Similarly, the whole cast consists of actors with much potential. The Trojan Women are successful in drawing clear lines with Euripides's work but this is not enough to have a current adaptation that stands out. The names are there and the intention is there but a revision of this work could bring better results as this version doesn't reach a clear outcome. Tallon's (Zamir Mesiti) much discussed research is never revealed or at least mentioned with clarity. The same goes with many references and questions raised throughout as the back story and the world building aren't clear.
The potential, ideas, energy and intention brought in this production are all what makes me wonder what these same creatives could do in the future. I am really looking forward to 'meet' all of them in their future works across London and beyond.
★ ★
