THYESTES

The decision to include this previously produced show Thyestes by The Hayloft Project in the Sydney Festival was inspired.

Simon Stone’s direction along with the modern adaptation developed by Stone and the cast – Thomas Henning, Mark Winter and Chris Ryan – combine to create an electrifying rendition of this ancient Greek tragedy by Seneca.

There are no long-winded speeches full of convoluted text. This is crisp, modern and gutsy theatre. The story is full of sexual exploits, ultra violent and immoral behaviour, but the Hayloft crew successfully create a modern context without slipping into a schlocky, Pulp Fiction-style parody – which would have been very easy to do.

The cast is incredibly strong, but special mention must go to Chris Ryan, who plays the females for the majority of the show. He doesn’t just ‘play’ a woman; he goes for the truth of the moment, which overall makes for compelling interactions between the characters.

Claude Marcos’ ‘white box’ set is one of the most interesting designs to ever grace a stage and is full of surprises. Stefan Gregory’s sound and music are bold and gothic – adding to the epic feel.

This is what theatre is all about. It will suck you in deep, until you hope it never ends.

Until Feb 19, CarriageWorks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh, $42-62, 9699 3444, belvoir.com.au