Arts:Blog

Theatre Review: The Iliad ****

Michael Cox reviews an impressive production with an unforgettable performance.

There are many words one could use to describe Mark Thomson’s swansong as artistic director of the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, but the most ample is: ambitious. Taking one of the greatest stories in the cannon of literature, assembling a company of 12 to play a large cast of mortal and immortal characters and concocting a three-hour production with songs and bloody swordfights. Ambitious to its core.

The most remarkable part is that Thomson just about completely pulls it off. With such a large production, it is all but inevitable to have a few snags: there are some weak company members, the action sometimes melds into melodrama and plot clarity isn’t as assured as it should be at times, particularly in its first half.

But when it works, it is terrifically thrilling. Much of the battle scenes are engrossing, with quick sword slashes and splashes of blood covering much of the cast and set. Thomson’s staging is involving, finding a steady pace that quickens in the second half. Playwright Chris Hannan’s adaptation is poetic and quotable while keeping the unfolding story at an almost relentless pace.

But the ace in the sleeve is found in its ensemble, particularly within a few standout performances. Ben Turner’s Achilles is a military force to be reckoned with: quick to anger and ready for a fight—a character who is both fascinating and frightening in equal measure. Ron Donachie is commanding as both Agamemnon and Priam, while Richard Conlon’s Zeus is less grey-haired father figure and more jack-the-lad schemer.

The real standout however, not just in this production but in recent Scottish theatre, is Emmanuella Cole as Hera. Mesmerising from the word go, Cole is constantly thrilling to watch as she plays out her plan to avenge what she sees as a wrong towards her. Happy to flash a smile before condemning men to slaughter, she anchors the whole production, making scenes that could have been absurd into nail-biting moments. It is an unforgettable performance in a production that largely impresses.

Looking over Thomson’s tenure at the Lyceum, The Iliad probably won’t be remembered as his finest moment. It is, however, a worthy high for him to end his time at the theatre.

The Iliad performs at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh until May 14.