Atropa

by Rosslyn Hyams

Article published on the 2008-07-13 Latest update 2008-07-14 08:51 TU

Time to brush up on your Flemish, or on your French, to be able to appreciate a new version of the Greek tragedies about the Trojan Wars. Atropa, the Vengeance of Peace, is written by Tom Lanoye and directed by Guy Cassiers from the Tonnelhuis in Antwerp, Belgium.

Atropa is part of the scientific word for the toxic plant Belladonna. Tom Lanoye adapted this work from the Euripides’ Greek Trojan War epic, focusing on the women in the story. He and director Guy Cassiers chose to talk about power from the point of view of the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of the warriors. Ominous music opens the play, and creeps into the background from time to time throughout the play to reinforce the horror of it all.

The play begins with Helen, posing in silhouette with her back to the audience, like a statue of liberty. She recounts her anger and frustration into a camera she holds as steadily as possible, while watching her own oversized image on a screen serving as a backdrop. She demands that the war that’s waiting to happen, does so. Lanoye highlights the double-speak of war, setting the play and all its grief during the so-called "liberation of Troy".

He weaves into Atropa, words from speeches of US president George Bush and his former defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in which they justify the war in Iraq which began in 2003. He puts their words into the mouth of Agamemnon, king of the Greeks, the only male character on stage.

Agamemnon, true to his kingly, belligerent character bellows from time to time, but for a Greek tragedy there’s remarkably little wailing, screaming or shouting. The actors virtually whisper their suffering. And the microphones stuck on their faces fade into total insignificance as their soft voices command total concentration.

Guy Cassiers way of staging Atropa is described as "impossible" by Tom Lanoye. The loudest and most telling sound is the falling axe that kills Cassandra, Hecuba and Andromaque.

Atropa, directed by Guy Cassiers from an adaptation by Tom Lanoye, is on at the Muncipal Theatre-Opera House at the Avignon Festival until 14 July. The Avignon Festival runs until 26 July. The Avignon fringe festival, the OFF, runs until 2 August.