Blood, gore, and nudity were, fittingly, absent from the recent youth production of Metamorphoses at Bromley Little Theatre. Present, however, was a large, talented cast telling story after story of human passion and divine duplicity, and every bizarre behaviour, decision, and quirk in between.
Bromley Little Theatre’s Youth Group put on a lively and gripping performance of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Some words from Wikipedia help by way of background on the work which is now a little over 2000-years old:
“The Metamorphoses (Latin: Metamorphōsēs, from Ancient Greek: μεταμορφώσεις: “Transformations”) is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his magnum opus. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar in a mythico-historical framework comprising over 250 myths, 15 books, and 11,995 lines. The Metamorphoses is one of the most influential works in Western culture. It has inspired such authors as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Geoffrey Chaucer, and William Shakespeare.”
The Metamorphoses clearly inspired Bromley Little Theatre’s Youth Group, and Directors Pauline Armour and Jessica-Ann Jenner.
Watching a performance of a play based on, or influenced by, Ancient Greek storytellers is likely to be a visceral, no-holds-barred experience in which some of the most uncomfortable topics of taboo and stigma in our current times are thrust onto the centre of the stage. The advertisement text for this production warned of “dark themes and unexpected twists. Brace yourself for shocks and surprises along the way!” and advised, with complete accuracy, “Not suitable for young children.” All of this was true.
The cast played their parts with relish, carrying off a complex, word-rich production, using a handful of well-thought out props, set under an array of coloured lanterns that were reminiscent of the planets and their satellites that to this day bear the names of so many ancient Gods.
Many and varied tales were told and acted. The performance of the strutting, self-obsessed Adonis (Clark Davis) stood out, as did that of the gleeful, camp Achilles (Joe Turner). So too did Leo Silva’s irritable, capricious, and vengeful Juno, Isabel Brown’s eloquent Scylla, and Kobi Maynard’s lusty, swaggering Jupiter. However, everyone played their part and all shone at one point or another: Aphrodite (Martha Monahan), Arachne (Eve Cartwright & Victoria Hedges), Baucis (Julia Garner), Caesar (Blue Wright), Cephalus (Frank Sisley), Clymene (Liz Rump), Diana (Hannah Kempster), Eurydice (Rosa Davies), Hecuba (Eva Jones), Io (Hari Richards), Medea (Bea Thomas), Orpheus (Bryan Noumonvi), Phaethon (Rocco Hassan), Philemon (Alfred Wilton), Phoebus (Joseph Bosher), and Procris (Connie Dossetter).
Whether any of these actors goes on to be a famed Bromley Little Theatre alumni like now co-President Zoe Tapper, remains to be seen, but seeing a group of young people able to release themselves from the perils of our current times by reprising those of myth and legend was a joy to behold.
After the show, co-Director Pauline Armour was heard saying to the cast, “Well done guys, you did brilliantly.” She was right.
Bromley Little Theatre is currently fundraising. Read more and help here.
The theatre is also mourning the passing one of its lynchpin figures, Dave Armour. Read more here.
Darren Weale, 27 March 2024
Bromley Buzz 