Dark and sobering story of silenced women brilliantly performed

The Sinodun Players present The Penelopiad Corn Exchange, Wallingford
Tuesday, May 20

THE latest production from the Sinodun Players is an extraordinary piece of theatre.

With a staggeringly talented cast, expertly directed by Lucy Pitman-Wallace, the performance I saw reached impressively high standards. I couldn’t take my eyes off the players and was blown away by the visceral power emanating from the stage. The play is an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novella The Penelopiad with its focus on female perspectives.

We hear the familiar tale of the travels of Odysseus from the point of view of his shrewd wife, Penelope, together with her bevy of maids.

It’s an all-female cast, most of whom double up, playing the maids but also family and household members in Sparta and Ithaca.

Nicola Webb’s set design, enhanced by Poul Alexander’s lighting, evokes the darkness of Hades, from where Penelope tells her story. Sue Forward’s costumes echo the elegant drapery of ancient Greece in shades of orange, black and grey.

As Natalie Davies sweeps on to the stage, a dignified and forthright Penelope, her maids are gathered behind her, their piteous poses foreshadowing the sadness to come. Poppy Jackson is brisk and confident as the wily Odysseus, who wins the hand of Penelope and is kind to her.

Hannah Winters sulks and complains convincingly as their teenage son, Telemachus. In Ithaca, Penelope is sidelined as a wife and mother since the nursemaid Eurycleia (a wonderfully bossy and crafty Marilyn Johnstone) rules the roost in domestic matters.

A constant thread through the play is Penelope’s spiky rivalry with her man-eating cousin, Helen of Troy (a superbly supercilious Heather Trevis).

With music and movement important to the production, original songs have been composed by musical director Alex Rimes, who has also choreographed the movement and mime.

The chorus of cast members playing the maids show off some stunning singing voices. Jolyon Forward’s soundscapes add further atmosphere.

Even in such a dark and epic tale, there are glimmers of humour. Penelope is funny recounting her rescue from drowning by a group of ducks. Odysseus is entertaining as he strolls to the end of the race for Penelope, having sabotaged the other contestants. The maids raise a smile through their mischief and resilience. The suitors that gather around Penelope in her husband’s absence are comic characters — but their views of women are not so funny. The dominant mood of the play, however, is pathos, as the 12 young maids suffer shockingly unjust treatment from Odysseus and Telemachus.

Twelve nooses hanging from the rafters provide a chilling indication of their fate. Once in Hades, the girls won’t forget that Penelope played a part in their downfall.

This compelling drama goes some way to letting women tell their own tale, but also exposes the many times when women’s voices remain unheard.

The Sinodun Players’ The Penelopiad is a sobering story but a theatrical triumph.

Susan Creed