The word pantomime was adopted from the Latin word pantomimus, which in turn derives from the Greek word παντόμιμος (pantomimos), consisting of παντο- (panto-) meaning “all”, and μῖμος (mimos), meaning a dancer who acted all the roles or all the story.
There is a touch of what is now regarded to be “traditional” pantomime in Sarah Ruhl’s play, EURYDICE, with an Underworld peopled by a camp commandant and a trio of painted stones who gleefully play Greek chorus.
Play commences with serious young lovers Eurydice and Orpheus in languorous mode which ends in a marriage proposal.
It’s a betrothal sweet tempered with bereavement bitter as Eurydice has lost her much loved father and though her mourning is far from Elektra, it is profound and heartfelt.
Her father bestowed not only love but a love of language – Ruhl cleverly gives her a lyrical litany of words derived from the Greek – a love that is complicit in her coupling with Orpheus, no slouch himself at lyricism and lyre playing.
When Eurydice dies on her wedding day, Orpheus determines to follow her into the Underworld and lure her back with his singing.
In the meantime, Eurydice is reacquainted in the Underworld with her father.
Directed by Claudia Barry, EURYDICE is a sophisticated piece of naive theatre, free spirited yet deceptively disciplined, simply staged yet with an impressive set and costume design by Isabel Hudson, lights by Ben Brockman, sound by Ben Pierpoint and puppets by Indi Redding.
Ebony Vagulans and Lincoln Vickery are fabulous as the lovers, Eurydice and Orpheus, graceful in their physicality, with Vickery providing a pleasant singing voice for his dulcet toned hero.
Nicholas Papademetriou as the multi-guised Underworld kingpin is wonderfully theatrical, cradling camp, and takes his cue from a line in the play about getting bigger by giving a bigger performance.
Alex Malone, Megan Wilding and Ariadne Sgouros as The Stones are acerbically sage with their advise and commentary, drolly deadpan in their delivery until an encore performance of pop culture choreography through puppetry invigorate them to rollicking stones.
Jamie Oxenbould as dear departed dad of Eurydice is the heart and soul, the pillar of the play, infusing it with a palpable pathos. From the Greek, pathos means suffering, emotion and experience and Oxenbould delivers it in subtle, delicate shades.