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Summerhall – Roundabout
A modern tale of coercion and abuse at the expense of a bisexual woman echoes the ancient myth of Apollo and Daphne. Summary
Rating
Good
Sap is very much a story of our times. A woman stuck in an office job, sucked into its politics and prone to casual sex to numb the pain of a boring routine becomes the object of unwanted attention. The play is, however, also a liberal adaptation of an ancient myth, the literary product of those who, before anyone else, identified power games and the subjugation of the weaker – be this people from a lower upbringing or women.
The fable in question is that of Apollo and Daphne. The first very much obsessed with the latter, who is prepared to do whatever is required to reject him. In the mythical version, the final solution to the unwanted attentions arrives from Daphne’s own parents, who turn her into a plant as soon as Apollo gets too close. In Rafaella Marcus’ modern interpretation, this transformation is more metaphorical – albeit described so vividly that we can’t tell where reality ends and gives space to imagination.
Crucially, Sap is also a play about being bisexual and dealing with the pressures of people expecting you to be one thing or the other. When our Daphne (Jessica Clark) meets another woman in a club (Rebecca Banatvala), their instant connection quickly blooms into a beautiful relationship; they trust and love each other. However, she doesn’t have the courage to admit being attracted to men as well, and this leaves her exposed to a manipulative ex whose behaviour goes from sapping to downright abusive.
Clark is perfectly at ease as a lead while Banatvala swiftly provides all the supporting roles, but their performance suffers slightly on the round stage. When the action reaches its climax, their voices are lost in the unforgiving space of the Roundabout and I see other people around me stretching their necks as they attempt to hear better. It is not helped that they are facing away from us at this moment. It is a significant loss, as plenty of dramatic charge thus far had been found on the detail, from the actors’ choreographed movement to represent feelings, to the mirror floor to suggest the presence of water. Sap is a solid piece of theatre, with good technical support and an excellent script but, perhaps due to this loss of content, failed to make a lasting impression on me.
Written by: Rafaella Marcus
Directed by: Jessica Lazar
Produced by: Atticist, Ellie Keel Productions & MAST Mayflower Studios, in association with 45North
Sap plays at EdFringe 2022 until 28 August. Further information and bookings here.
