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West End quality music in an exceptional, epic adventure. You’d go a long, long, long way to beat it…Summary
Rating
Excellent
Homer’s The Odyssey is probably the most famous story ever told. An epic adventure, it centres on Odysseus’s long and gruelling return home after the fall of Troy, telling of gods, perilous voyages and magical adventure. Did I mention it was a long, long, long journey? In the Unicorn Theatre’s animatedly entertaining musical version, writer Nina Segal cleverly shifts the viewpoint to the perspective of his son, the teenage Telemachus (Shaka Kalokoh), and it takes just 70 minutes to complete the intrepid tale.
At home in Ithaca, we find Telemachus and his mum Penelope (Cash Holland) waiting for Odysseus, who has been missing for ten years. Fed up of not knowing what’s happened, the boy decides to set out on his own to seek his absent parent.
On glittering silver staging, this show starts with a huge blast of energy and then just keeps going! Embracing 60s soul and pop, the incredible music from Naomi Hammerton, with lyrics by Segal, brings an upbeat Little Shop of Horrors vibe and injects vibrant dynamism into the performance that lifts the atmosphere through the roof. A phenomenal cast of four deliver in style, not only playing a range of characters but executing a multiplicity of musical numbers with what can only be described as West End quality delivery and tremendous physicality. It’s polished, perky and exuberantly playful.
Telemachus is accompanied on his quest by a hilarious Greek chorus of two Supremes-style backing singers (Cerys Marie Burton and Kimmy Edwards), clad in sparkly sequins and silver boots. They are a dazzling delight, and work together with impeccable synchronicity both in their brilliant characterisations and their singing. Holland’s voice, too, is breathtaking – molten gold, and her haunting lament will leave you with chills!
Segal’s writing is deceptively sophisticated and tailored perfectly to its young audience. On the surface there’s a straightforward adventure, which of itself provides an exciting, enjoyable narrative. However, from within it she mines an abundance of rich themes to resonate with many of the young audience, and she extracts diamonds. There is so much here, from coming of age, to self-identity, to the realities of war, to life with a single parent, to expectations of what adults (particularly parents) might be, and how to reconcile oneself to things that aren’t as you might want them to be. It’s all presented with warmth, sensitivity and masses of humour. Never patronising or preachy, the piece opens up interesting conversations for after the show.
With such a rich vein of material, director Jennifer Tang works energetically to keep the narrative joyfully propelling along, and it’s enthralling. With a light touch of engagement, the audience is welcomed to interact, readily and raucously advising Telemachus on his cake-based decision making. There’s a distinct contemporary twist, meaning everything’s relevant for a modern audience: the blind Teresias is an aging granny, insistent on getting a kiss from her unwilling grandson, whilst elsewhere he wears headphones that successfully block out the sirens’ song.
Virginie Taylor’s expansive video projections create thrilling atmospheres and help reaffirm locations along the journey, whilst the use of a wind machine alongside them is stunning! Rosie Elnile meanwhile provides an impressively lively set and excellent costumes, where every detail is striking and occasionally just bizarre; from the 60s-style clothing, to the ‘Frank Sidebottom’ cyclops head and the gloriously creepy sea monster outfit.
It’s such a complete pleasure to discover a production like this, which takes a classic work and reinvents it so considerately for young people. This is a 7th century story transformed into refreshingly relevant theatre for a 21st century audience and one that will definitely leave you uplifted.
Written by: Nina Segal
Music and arrangements by: Naomi Hammerton
Directed by: Jennifer Tang
Set and Costume Design by: Rosie Elnile
Choreography and Movement Direction by: Chi-San Howard
Lighting Design by: Jessica Hung Han Yun
Sound Design by: Ellie Isherwood
Video and Projection Design by: Virginie Taylor
The Odyssey is aimed at ages 8-13 and runs at the Unicorn Theatre until 21 April. Booking details can be found here.
