METAMORPHOSES

Sexual ecstasy, homicide, cannibalism, incest, and nudity – there’s a reason why Ancient history was always more fun. Director Dino Dimitriadis describes this modern mediation on tales from Ovid as life affirming and primal. “My aim is to invoke a visceral and emotional response rather than an academic one. I’m not a believer in classics for classic’s sake,” he explains. “The challenge is to find new ways of staging them and ensure that they are relevant to a contemporary audience. Classics come with great universality, but also with a lot of baggage.”

Dimitriadis has set the Tony Award-winning adaptation in a museum basement with ten actors exploring 65 characters in a dozen myths, and appears unfazed by his sizable cast. “Theatre for me is about the actor in time and space,” he continues.  “The full ensemble is on stage for the entire production and very involved in each myth. I don’t feel overwhelmed with large casts, although you do need to ensure that everyone gets detailed attention to their character work.”

Audiences can expect a union of classical text, contemporary image, live sound, and physical sequences and also be treated to an art installation in the foyer appropriately-titled ‘Myth’.

Jul 4- 21, PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville, $22-32, 1300 438 849, moshtix.com.au