A retelling of the Ancient Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice backed by a musical soundtrack? No, this isn’t Hadestown in London’s West End – it’s something much more interesting than that, playing out at Edinburgh Fringe in The Pleasance’s intimate Baby Grand space.
The legend finds itself updated to the very recent past in Owen Sutcliffe’s reimagining of the tale. Òran (Robbie Gordon), our Orpheus, recounts his journey to the underworld to rescue his best friend Euan, his Eurydice, from Hades’ grasp. The catalyst for Euan’s descent into the underworld, and Hades’ resulting hold on him, has been the draw of mobile phones and social media.
Sutcliffe wryly retains elements of the Greek original, particularly those features that he is most comfortable with. As a poet and lyricist, he roots the play in verse with a notably Scottish vernacular, though it is entirely accessible – after all, ‘Shitebag if ye dinnae,’ transcends dialect. And, without giving away too much, he maintains much of the structure of the original. But he allows for significant changes too.
Òran and Euan’s romance is of the platonic kind, though it could hint at more, and there is the obvious key role of modern technology within the plot, a critique of mobile phone use by young people and its consequences. In a subplot, Sutcliffe also unpicks how grief and mourning affects people in different ways. There is an incredible depth within this show, even more impressive given its tight 70 minute running time.
What elevates all of this is Gordon’s masterful delivery – an electric one-man tour de force. He is also tasked with creating the electronic live score at the show’s core, managing to avoid the potential to be pulled out of the moment while programming the music. It is a truly magnetic performance: touching, furious, heart-wrenching, human.
Rating: ★★★★★ – Must see
