Electra ~ [The Etcetera Theatre] ~ Review

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Electra is one of the greatest revenge stories ever told, a Greek tragedy centring on a family torn apart by grief and murder. At the start of Sophocles’ Electra we find the titular character still mourning the death of her father, the king, many years after his murder at the hand of her mother, Clytemnestra. Electra’s last hope lies with her brother, Orestes, who she prays will soon return from exile to kill their mother for her unspeakable crime. But what is so interesting about this particular tale is that it’s not as black and white as it may first appear – Electra’s mother had her own revenge in mind when murdering her husband. Her motive? To avenge the death of their eldest daughter whom the old king had sacrificed to the gods.

These events have all occurred before the curtain comes up and are helpfully explained in the ‘background’ section of the programme provided for this fresh and powerful new take on a Greek classic. An opening monologue from Electra’s unnamed friend, who acts as narrator and guide throughout the play, gives a moving and succinct account of these events, and by its conclusion there is no doubt in the audience’s mind that these characters are at breaking point. This opening monologue sets the tone perfectly, not only for the misery of this story but for the incredible quality of the acting in this production. Molly Peterson, who plays this unnamed friend, has the audience transfixed from word go, her incredible stage presence and fearless, emotive performance sets the bar high, and the rest of this play does not disappoint.

Every aspect, every element of this production has clearly been thought out with a great degree of time and attention. High praise goes to director Isaiah Michalski for the meticulous care taken bringing this difficult and challenging play to life through clever use of sound, props, set, and lighting. This production is, in a word, tight – no detail is frivolous, no choice made without regard, and the methods used are all simple but incredibly effective. For example, all mood setting sound is provided by one single cello, played and composed by Marie Carroll. This entire production is a perfect lesson in how great theatre can be achieved on a limited budget.

Michalski’s brilliant vision for this play is brought to life by bold, nuanced performances from a seriously talented cast. They’re not afraid of silences and pauses, nor of raging fury and inconsolable grief, all delivered with real feeling and a painstaking awareness of pace and timing. The whole cast works well together, displaying an intimate chemistry between these complex characters and their complex relationships to one another. My only criticism would be that occasionally the highly emotive scenes could have benefitted from some more variety in volume and tone to make shouted moments more impactful, but overall the performances delivered were heart wrenching.

Although this play centres around Orestes mission to avenge his father with the help of his mentor, Didaskalos, it is very much a story about women, with men and the glory of their violence taking a back seat to the repercussions for the women left to deal with the chaos left in the wake of their destructive behaviour. It’s a production full of frantic energy, stained red with pain and anguish, threat of further violence always looming.

Clytemnestra is the closest thing to a villain in this story, but Ruva Chigwedere’s portrayal benefits from a multi-layered and borderline unhinged approach to the bereaved mother turned murderer, she throws herself into this role with gusto and delivers a sympathetic character trying to hold things together through her grief and ultimately failing. Ben Milliken makes for a high energy but subtly vulnerable Orestes, his physicality that of a tiger wound tight and ready to spring into violent action. The same can be said for Freddie MacBruce’s Didaskalos, who tears about the stage like a man possessed but with a calculating intelligence lacking in his younger friend. The voice of reason comes in the form of Electra’s sister Chrysothemis, the peace keeper, and kudos to Ece Hakim who engaged with the sweetness and gentle strength of this role whilst still making her presence known, no easy feat amongst a cast of such big personalities! And then, finally, there’s Electra, an incredibly complex and exhausting role delivered with an intelligent regard for the nuances of human grief by actress Balim Barutçu.

This production of Electra provides no answers, it gives no guidance, it presents the emotional turmoil of each member of a family destroyed by bloodshed and, quite literally, asks the audience to come to their own conclusion over who is in the right. Was Clytemnestra justified in the murder of her husband after his destruction of their child? Are her children right to seek revenge on her for their father’s death? The audience is left to puzzle this one out for themselves long after the curtain comes down. It’s a play not to be forgotten in a hurry.


Electra ~ [The Etcetera Theatre] ~ Review
★★★★★