‘The Iphigenia Project’ follows the production of two plays, Iphigenia and Clytemnestra by Suhayla El-Bushra and Lulu Raczka, respectively, that independently and correspondingly explores the sacrificial burden of duty and grief amidst a background of war. Clytemnestra, while not as action-packed as its predecessor, demonstrates a necessary meditation on love and grief following the sacrifice of Clytemnestra’s daughter, Iphegenia. In stark juxtaposition to Iphigenia, the aftermath of Iphegenia’s sacrifice is analysed by contemporary commentators (Miguel Cullen-Green, James Waters, Ruby Bat, Melinda Lacy), set up against the statements of two bystanders contemporaneous with Clytemnestra’s time (Clemence Le Sayec, Benjamin Wonderley). The more they try to dissect her, the further she retreats into herself, erasing herself from the narrative.
The entire cast delivered a brilliant performance that contemporaneously anchors the play to the real-world implications of war that we have let ourselves become detached from.
Riley Harrison outstandingly delivers a relentlessly intense performance as Agamemnon. His magnetically potent voice echoes against the walls of the theatre, demanding your attention with incredible pedigree.
Kaitlin Walsh as Iphigenia is a force-of-nature – her talent outshining even the stage’s own blood-red spotlight during her climactic breakdown scene following the revelation underpinning her so-called ‘marriage’ to Achilles (spoiler alert: it’s actually a ritualistic sacrifice for goddess Artemis for a fair wind to Troy). Each wail, grimace and stillness never goes unnoticed.
Jennifer Gray as Clytemnestra phenomenally encapsulates a quiet, obliterating intensity that is constantly full to the brim and is threatening to spill out. Her performance encroaches on the cataclysmic duties of motherhood and wifehood during war that are traditionally overlooked in favour of masculine-oriented stories.
Linda Luke’s direction of ‘The Iphigenia Project’ is a masterclass of the lethally effective tragicomic directing required for a play as nuanced as this. Whether it’s Achilles’ libidinous late-night rendezvous (Haydon Ashley) or the Professor’s show-stopping backflip amid a devastating portrayal of grief (James Waters), Luke’s directorial management and the casts’ comedic-timing perfectly treads the careful line where the play’s impact is not lost for the sake of a few laughs. Such is the riveting nature of the play that forces itself beyond conventional genres, with scenes of terror, poignancy and kitschy comedy relief all occurring beside each other.
One of the most striking moments of the play is the dramatic “Iphigenia, Scourge Of Troy!” chant that follows after Iphigenia’s psychological battle. She is determined to let herself be ritually sacrificed for her country and die honourably, as opposed to falling victim to Paris’ manhunt that would leave her cornered, begging for mercy. “Why should I die cheap?” she yells to the audience. What was once mere scattered exclamations of excitement, “Iphigenia, Scourge Of Troy!” manifests itself into an uproarious battle cry among the crew as they watch Iphingenia’s body get hauled away. Thunderous crescendos of militaristic reverie builds higher and higher and higher like a rubber band stretching thin, just moments before snapping, and then… silence. Deafening and confronting. The full force of what has occurred settles into the audience’s stomachs as they watch Iphigenia become a shell of who she once was. Artemis is content. The winds have arisen. Troops gather at their fleet, preparing for Troy. Iphigenia is remembered, but others are not. The unnamed maid and soldier (Clemence Le Sayec and Benjamin Wonderley, respectively) represent mere numbers of war, becoming vessels of memories they are plagued to live with. It becomes clear that no winners emerge glorious from this war.
With the play’s grim lighting and brute sound-effects, it is easy to watch and play and feel as if you are the only one in the room. My advice to watching ‘The Iphigenia Project’ is to sit back and let it engulf you whole.
Tickets to the production here! Don’t miss out!