Eurydice

EURYDICE is an imaginative retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus. “Orpheus was a great musician, Eurydice was his wife, she died.” The tale usually follows the adventure of Orpheus, the tragedy and hubris of his love – but very rarely is Eurydice much more than the treasure at the end of the journey. In this play, Eurydice takes the forefront – we see her developed as an intelligent and curious young woman, we watch her death and follow her to the Underworld, see her reconnect with her dead father and follow Eurydice and her father as they reclaim their memories from the River Styx. The Underworld is a wonderland of stone creatures and a devilish king with rules that only make sense “because”.

The play explores the themes of love and loss and the favourite themes of both playwright Sarah Ruhl and director Abbey McCaughan, yearning and nostalgia. Memory plays a key role in the narrative, as the characters lose their memory in death but regain them as reconnect to the love they had in life. The play works in the realm of surrealism and blends in elements of contemporary dance with at times absurd dialogue. Sarah Ruhl’s masterful text is an elegant exploration of what it means to love and the choices we make when we give ourselves to another person.

This production is packed to the brim with incredible emerging talent, featuring Josie Walsh as Eurydice and Tom Tasovac as Orpheus. They are accompanied by the incomparable Grant Malcolm as Father, who brings a wealth of experience in both life and theatre delicately to the role. The antagonist Hades is played expertly by WAAPA student Becca Attwood. The key players are surrounded by a diverse and spectacular ensemble of Stones (Abby Kotara, Declan Morton, Lukas Perez, Jade Elliott, Matilda Reid and Mary Carter) who create the unsettling atmosphere of the Underworld through contemporary movement and chorus speech reminiscent of the story’s roots in Greek theatre.

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