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 The Women of Troy
Sydney Theatre Company
until 22nd October
Bookings: (02) 9250 1777
From the opening minutes of Barrie Kosky and Tom Wright's adaptation of Euripides' The Women of Troy it is apparent that while some classic plays might present directors with an uphill battle to make them relevant and less remote to a modern audience, this anti-war drama is not one of them. The play concerns itself, not with the causes of a war, but rather its ugly aftermath. The material still catches you by the throat and with Kosky at the helm we have a dynamic and harrowing production of one of the great works of Western Literature.
Kosky and Wright have taken to the original text wielding a sharp pair of scissors but as a result the ideas of the play are communicated more effectively. Their script holds fast to the ancient cruelties depicted by Euripides, while being entirely of our time. Euripides’ women are survivors and captives. Troy burns. In a bleak holding area, the royal Trojan women await their fate. Greek civil servants, a vital part of the war machine, are on the ground dealing with collateral damage and the real conflict in the play is between these officials and the women. With the collapse of moral certainty, everyone finds themselves in a very dangerous and frightening situation.
I wasn’t surprised by the references to the Abu Ghraib atrocities (the battered Hecuba and chorus of women spend quite a bit of time hooded and struggling to balance on upturned boxes while being photographed on mobile phones). But it is not overdone. Kosky can be excessive but here the violence, dare I say it, is interestingly staged. It makes you hate violence.
It is now two weeks since I saw the production and while I’m still impressed by the showbiz of it all, what really has stayed with me are the performances of Robyn Nevin and Melita Jurisic. You don’t see this kind of excellence on Sydney stages very often. I immediately acknowledge that Kosky had a hand in this, but for me their portrayals are the main reason not to miss this production.
This is a huge treat.
- Victoria Hannon
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