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Phaedra / Minotaur

 
Alec Martin Review by Alec Martin 3 Published: 22 Aug 2023 The Lyceum Show Dates: 18 Aug 2023-20 Aug 2023

With Phaedra/Minotaur, director Deborah Warner and Choreographer Kim Brandstrup present a couple of easily digestible slices of re-interpreted Greek mythology. They’re stripped back and impassioned, though not always the most satisfying.

Stripped back and impassioned, though not always the most satisfying

It all kicks off with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s Phaedra. On a sparsely populated stage of black and white, Richard Etherington takes to the keys in a paired down rendition of the piece while Christine Rice offers a rather more fulsome vocal delivery of the cantata. As she tells the story of the moment Phaedra tragically falls for Hippolytus, the son of her husband. While the quality of her singing is excellent, the delivery feels relentlessly overwrought.

In the second part of the performance, dance replaces music to carry the story of the Minotaur, or rather Ariadne’s betrayal when she saves Theseus from the mythical creature. This part of the performance is stronger, delivering an emotionally charged ballet choreographed by Brandstrup. It's danced by Jonathan Goddard, Tommy Franzen, and Isabel Lubach, whose ever-shifting, sensuous movements, accented by Eilon Morris' intriguing score, cohere well with the minimalistic design.

Passages where Goddard and Lubach’s fluid courtship elegantly play over the stage are very well conceived and delivered, but the highlight comes later when Franzen descends the climbing hold-peppered background wall with no shortage of grace. The dancer is seemingly effortless as he moves and hangs off the wall, enacting the emotional performance while imbuing the emotionality of the piece with some genuine spectacle.

The staging is bare but effective, the storytelling is thematic rather than narrative, and the quality of performance is generally very good throughout the production. However, Phaedra/Minotaur remains a little unbalanced across the two pieces and if some of the complexity delivered in the latter half could be infused into the earlier section then there could have been something very special here.

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The Blurb:

A sensational double bill pairing Benjamin Britten’s final vocal work, the powerful cantata Phaedra, with the thrilling new dance piece Minotaur.

From opera and theatre director Deborah Warner and choreographer Kim Brandstrup comes an exciting new production inspired by Greek mythology. First, Benjamin Britten’s cantata tells the story of Phaedra and her all-consuming lust for her stepson, Hippolytus. Leading mezzo soprano Christine Rice reprises her Olivier Award-nominated performance accompanied by acclaimed pianist Richard Hetherington. The scalding power of Britten’s score pushes Phaedra towards her doom in an intense and thrilling drama.

In Minotaur, we meet Ariadne (Phaedra’s sister), her lover Theseus and her half brother–the Minotaur himself. Through Brandstrup’s moving choreography, we follow the characters’ conflict, lust and pain through the depths of the labyrinth.

A touch tour for blind or partially sighted audience members is available before the 3pm performance on 20 August. Find out more.

Supported by

Geoff and Mary Ball

Phaedra

Benjamin Britten ComposerDeborah Warner DirectorAntony McDonald Set and Costume DesignerAdam Silverman Lighting Designer

Christine Rice PhaedraRichard Hetherington Musical Director and Piano

Minotaur

Kim Brandstrup Choreographer Antony McDonald Set and Costume DesignerJean Kalman Lighting DesignerEilon Morris Composer, Sound Designer and Percussionist

Tommy Franzen, Jonathan Goddard, Isabel Lubach Dancers

Produced by Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath by arrangement with the Royal Opera House.