Echo and Narcissus, an adaptation of the Greek myth by Durham University’s Rag and Bone Productions, is a terrific effort by the young company, but the production lacks a good deal in its storytelling.
Physical theatre is employed by the characters to communicate unspoken feeling, used most effectively in a moment where the dual-cast Echo, played by Elizabeth Johnson and Monika Kawai, dance an expressive duet showing their anguish at Hera’s voice-stealing curse. Beyond this, most movements lack inventiveness. Twitching fingers, for example, attached to outstretched arms indicate desperate clinging to other characters. The actors use a broad, presentational approach more fit for an auditorium than the intimate space they occupy. However, for Daisy Cummins, playing the Goddess Hera, this style works well with her super-human character.
The adaptation itself is a little confusing. With a narrator and a chorus, both of which speak to the audience and characters alike, the fictional world is difficult to define. Perhaps fusing those parts would give more cohesion to the piece overall. I found the makeup and costuming the most distracting. Plastic leaves glued on to accessory pieces, and distressed earth-tone skirts generally indicated forest nymphs, but do not tell a story about a particular character.
I really wanted to like Echo and Narcissus, as it’s one of my favourite Greek myths, but my expectations were not met. Still, the actors are young, and the production has some interesting moments, so I say ‘kudos’ for putting together a show for the Fringe.