Melbourne Shakespeare Company's Eurydice Falls Flat, Despite Talented Cast

'It's a familiar story of doomed love, but this retelling falls short,' said Cameron Woodhead of the Australian Theatre Review.

The Melbourne Shakespeare Company's production of Eurydice, a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth by American playwright Sarah Ruhl, has received mixed reviews. Woodhead particularly praised the modernisation of the myth's setting, noting a portal to the underworld from an old-school Telstra phone booth is a nice touch. The play's dialogue, however, was described as 'glib and superficial' by critic Cameron Woodhead, who found the performance style unengaging. Eurydice (Aisha Aidara) is a bookish young woman torn between her new husband, Orpheus (Tomas Kantor), and her dead father (John Voce), who has been spared the waters of the Lethe and retains his memory in the underworld.

The production was staged at the Melbourne Theatre, as part of the Melbourne Shakespeare Company's programming in recent years. The company's ambition has been increasing with more diverse and challenging productions, but this production of Eurydice fell short, as critic Cameron Woodhead considered it a misstep to choose Ruhl's play over something more dramatically engaging.

Woodhead noted that the dialogue in the play left the actors struggling to land an effective performance style. He argued that the contrast between the sinister elements of male entitlement and Eurydice's stark final choice to be violated by Hades or to embrace oblivion should have been moving, but unfortunately, a curious detachment sets in early. The talented cast, including Aisha Aidara as Eurydice, Tomas Kantor as Orpheus, and John Voce as Eurydice's dead father, valiantly tried to make the most of the underwritten dialogue.

Key Facts

• The production was staged at the Melbourne Theatre. • The Melbourne Shakespeare Company's production of Eurydice received mixed reviews. • Critic Cameron Woodhead found the dialogue 'glib and superficial'. • Eurydice (Aisha Aidara) is a bookish young woman torn between her new husband and her dead father. • The play modernises the myth's setting, making a portal to the underworld from an old-school Telstra phone booth a nice touch. • The production was part of the Melbourne Shakespeare Company's programming in recent years.

The Melbourne Shakespeare Company's production of Eurydice, a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth by American playwright Sarah Ruhl, has some glaring issues. Despite having a talented cast, the dialogue is described as 'glib and superficial' by critic Cameron Woodhead. He found the performance style unengaging.

The production was staged at the Melbourne Theatre, part of the Melbourne Shakespeare Company's programming in recent years. The company has increased its ambition with more diverse and challenging productions. However, the production of Eurydice fell short, as critic Cameron Woodhead found the play a misstep to choose Ruhl's play over something more dramatically engaging.

In his review, Woodhead noted that the dialogue in the play left the actors flailing to land an effective performance style. Unfortunately, the contrast between the sinister elements of male entitlement and Eurydice's stark final choice to be violated by Hades or to embrace oblivion doesn't seem as impactful as it should be. The talented cast valiantly tries to make the most of the underwritten dialogue.

Woodhead's review highlights the challenges of retelling a classic myth in a modern context. Modernising the myth's setting is a delicate task that requires great care and attention to detail. Unfortunately, the production of Eurydice does not quite rise to the challenge, leaving some critics feeling underwhelmed and unengaged.