03 April 2017

The Odyssey (Greek stuff)


Review by: Paul Towers, 03 April 2017
The Odyssey by Simon Harvey & David Mynne
Rabbit Theatre production – David Mynne
Upstairs @ The Western, 3/4/17 and touring

“epic, heroic and magical ….. lunacy”

The mythical tales of the Greek gods of ancient times are, by their very definition, epic, heroic and magical. Translating them into a one-man show is, on the face of it, a fools errand. How do you depict storms at sea, enchanting creatures of the deep and sorcerous sirens on an almost bare stage with just a scrap of cloth as a costume? The answer is to enrol the talents of Rabbit Theatre, aka Simon Harvey and David Mynne. This genius pair have a track record for producing hugely entertaining one-man shows which tour endlessly and The Odyssey is yet another sure fire winner.
With one man, four boxes and a piece of blue cloth David Mynne conjures up the saga of Odysseus as he uses the Trojan horse to take the city of Troy, defeats the gargantuan Cyclops and narrowly rescues his beloved wife Penelope from the hands of an interloper.
Liberally sprinkled amongst the traditional narrative are numerous surreal detours and side adventures casually thrown in to raise a laugh and move the story along. This is Play School for grown ups as Mynne produces teeny tiny models, creates voices and throws the cloth around to suggest costumes.
To my ageing eyes this hilarious lunacy is inspired by Michael Bentine’s Potty Time as he paints pictures with words and sounds.
Right from the get go David Mynne had the audience Upstairs at The Western in the palm of his hand as he welcomed us into his world of fantasy.
The Odyssey is on tour. Details can be found at www.rabbittheatre.com

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/

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