Stink Foot: Greek Theatre Reimagined
Peter Sarvari heads along to the Yard Theatre, where treacle meets tragedy
Two men fight half-naked in a puddle of golden syrup. One has a magic bow in his hand and the other tries to avoid him shooting down the lady playing Odysseus. The shadows on the wall reflect the play on the stage. An innovative performance, such that you have never seen before, at student friendly prices. A must-see.
Stink Foot is a new adaptation of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Philoctetes; Philoctetes’ foot is not stinking, but smells like sweet treacle, Odysseus is a female, and Noptolemus, the son of Achilles, is dressed in streetwear. Philoctetes has a magic bow, a reward for saving Hercules’ life, but was abandoned on a desert island by Odysseus, simply because no one in Greece could bear the smell of his poisoned foot. But now the Greeks need to use of the bow in the long ongoing Trojan War.
When I set foot in the Yard Theatre and walked across the stage – built from recycled materials – to find my seat, I knew I was going to see something unusual. But it is perhaps more accurate to say that there was no stage at all, with the actors performing right in front of, and sometimes behind us. I felt that what I would see would be really involving and lively, but the cast exceeded my wildest expectations.
The story may not be long and complicated, but it can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. It shows us two entirely different characters, employing two different kinds of persuasion, allowing us to see the result of each.
It is like good cop versus bad cop, one being kind and empathetic, the other authoritarian, while giving us an insight into the ruthless and selfish nature of humanity. Even without any interpretation the story was easy to follow; despite the rather simplistic plot our attention was maintained due lively dialogues, brilliant acting, and director Jeff James’ innovative means of depiction: displaying pain with harsh noise, having Philoctetes’ foot ooze golden syrup, using a DJ mixer to convey divine messages – these are all ways to bring the audience closer to the performance.
Perhaps I wouldn’t recommend this play for those who are expecting a full, epic story, or all night entertainment, given its snappy 70 minute run-time. But for those who enjoy watching well developed, fleshed-out characters, appreciate excellent lighting and sound design, and are interested in the director’s panache, then I couldn’t recommend Stink Foot highly enough. Theatre has never felt so alive!
