Review: Relic, Coronet Theatre

So what’s this show about? I don’t know if I can answer that question. And does it matter anyway? I do know that Relic is the funniest, most bizarrely refreshing and weirdly enchanting piece of work I have seen in a long, long time. It’s gloriously exceptional and a true celebration of artistic play.

Performance artist Euripides Laskaridis inhabits a stage covered with the detritus of everyday existence and interacts with his environment. There are bits of broken plaster, a marble bust, a fake tree: things left behind by time. He changes character multiple times, while shifting lighting (Eliza Alexandropoulou) and sound (Kostas Michopoulos) states disrupt the moment. I should perhaps mention that he is initially completely covered in a peculiar body suit (designed by Angelos Mentis), stuffed with lumps and bumps that accentuate his musculature and create a huge grotesque butt, with a couple of – how to describe them? – Mickey Mouse ears? on the top of his masked head. It really is not a show that is simple to describe, but it is very easy to fall in love with.

Laskaridis is a charismatic master of comic timing and as he navigates random interactions with space, objects, sound and light he audaciously invites us to imagine things differently, providing huge entertainment and pleasure in so doing. Magical moments of comic burlesque are testimony to his astonishing physical performance skills and have the audience shrieking with laughter. He sits casually alongside an ancient Roman, watching his laptop and confusing time. An entire section in rapid fire French is performed with magnificent storytelling flair, prompting us to question how we still know what’s going on without understanding a word of what’s spoken. There are flavours of old memories evoked throughout the show, with hints of working man’s club and Eurovision recalling experiences past. He howls at the moon and performs absolutely ludicrous toilet humour. All of this is absurd and excitingly disruptive.

But beneath the surface of ridiculousness, there’s a cunning craft that, as time passes, subtly alters our understanding of being in and with the space and its contents. After loudly hammering in a nail Laskaridis takes a moment to pay attention to the noise of the tool scraping against the metal, giving new form and understanding to the object through sound. Skilful costume and mask changes, sometimes achieved in a flash of waved lamplight, alter our perceptions of his character and invite us to imagine anew. Ultimately we too are fully engaged and are ourselves a part of the space.

Sound and lighting changes are prompted by pedals and buttons hidden around the stage and rapidly activated – often inelegantly – as part of the performance. This constantly shifting atmosphere creates humour and surprise but also occasional poignancy. Laskaridis delivers it all with delightful panache, down to every camp wave of a finger, and it’s clear that this seemingly chaotic nonsense is meticulously choreographed and executed.

Laskaridis is a huge, delightful talent yet never takes himself too seriously during this wild, wild ride. There’s a beautiful vulnerability in his playful character as he crafts a unique, unforgettable artform that leaves you thirsting for more. His transformations will transport you too, leaving you uplifted, activated and altered.

Directed Choreographed by Euripides Laskaridis
Sound design by Kostas Michopoulos
Lighting design by Eliza Alexandropoulos
Costume design by Angelos Mentis
Co-produced by the Athens & Epidaurus Festival & the OSMOSIS performing arts company

Relic runs at the Coronet Theatre until Saturday 5 April.