• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Tickets

Ed Fringe 2016: The Telemachy at Greenside @ Infirmary Street

August 31, 2016 by Rosa Garland Leave a Comment

Review of: The Telemachy
Produced by:
Mice On A Beam
Price:
Concludded

Reviewed by: Rosa Garland
Rating:
4
On August 31, 2016
Last modified:September 8, 2016

Summary:

Mice On A Beam's The Telemachy respected the scale of The Odyssey and its entertainment value, maintaining the fundamental excitement of the epic journey

More Details

A travelling poet staggers onto the stage, clutching a battered suitcase covered in stickers from all over the world. He takes his time, stops, and takes a swig from a wine bottle labelled ‘Dionysus’ before noticing his audience. Thus begins Mice On A Beam’s The Telemachy, an original take on The Odyssey that shifts the focus of the story onto Odysseus’ son Telemachus, finding a vibrant new angle and meaning in Homer’s classic tale. The storyteller’s initial entrance immediately shows us what to expect: a rock-n’-roll attitude, a focus on youth, a story that has travelled worldwide and just a dash of irreverence.

2016TELEMAC_AMD-767x767What little set there was proved effective, signs for each country in Telemachus’ travels emphasising the scale of his journey and the epic nature of the tale. I enjoyed the new relevance that was found in this age-old, arguably a little worn out tale; as the storyteller complains, it is a story we constantly retell (and study, as any English student can testify), so perhaps we should look at it a little more closely to see what we can learn. The overtones of hope in Telemachus finding his voice and the happy union of the older and younger generations was an interesting angle, and zooming in on the younger perspective of political stories is current and poignant. We don’t, as the poet says, ‘just sit on a beach tweeting articles from the Guardian.’ Going back to the classics to convey this message is a risky move, not only in terms of finding the resonance but in the danger of wallowing in intellectual parallels, inadvertently creating something self-indulgent and inaccessible. This was not so; even those with a very vague knowledge of the Odyssey like myself, or those with none at all could have taken something away from this piece. The political angle was not without its faults – this is not the first piece of theatre I have seen that has attempted to awkwardly shoehorn in Brexit jokes, and the scattered titters at these only emphasise that the significance of the story should somewhat speak for itself without needing such overt (and persistent) insertions.

Aside from intellectual meaning, Mice On A Beam respected the scale of The Odyssey and its entertainment value, maintaining the fundamental excitement of the epic journey even with only one actor on stage. Arman Mantella should be commended for this energetic performance, keeping us fully engaged for the hour; skilful storytelling and character work and a captivating stage presence made for an overall successful production. While my allegiance to his character and story may have faltered slightly at points, the sincerity and intelligence of the production shone through.

Author: Rosa Garland

Filed Under: Review Tagged With: Edinburgh Fringe 2016

Join the discussion Cancel reply

INTERVIEW / Plain Heroines talks SCRATCHES at VAULT Festival 2023

We spoke to director Gabrielle Bird from Plain Heroines about taking part in VAULT Festival 2023 with their show SCRATCHES   Tell us [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Anthony Clark on SHE

Anthony Clark is the writer of SHE, a new show interweaving the stories of 14 different women in their twenties, [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Thick ‘n’ Fast talks General Secretary at VAULT Festival

We spoke to co-writers and performers Cassie Symes and Georgina Thomas about taking part in VAULT Festival 2023 with their [Read More]

NEWS / Too Much World at Once tour announced

Set against a backdrop of the climate crisis, the debut from Papatango shortlisted writer Billie Collins is a lyrical coming [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Ian Nicholas talks The Elephant Song

Ian Nicholas is a theatre producer, running OnBook Theatre alongside director Jason Moore. He talks here about their next production, [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Hotel- a new play by Polly Stenham at The Shed, National Theatre
  • Spotlight On: The London Clown Festival
  • London Clown Festival Coming to, well, London
  • Willy Hudson on Welcome Home
  • Athena Stevens on seeing what you’ve turned a blind eye to
  • Is this the real location of Ambridge?
  • Ed Fringe 2016: Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons at Summerhall Roundabout
  • Southwold Summer Theatre Season 2022
  • Interview with Theresa Heskins, co-director of "Astley's Astounding Adventures"
  • VAULT Festival unveils 2018 programme!
  • Rosa Garland
    Author

  • August 31st, 2016
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2023 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!