Tag Archives: Daniel Fish

“Elektra” at the Duke of York’s Theatre

Having a star in your show (and the ticket sales they bring) might, understandably, give a production confidence. This new version of Sophocles’ play has chutzpah – let’s give it that. But a lot the bravado is superficial, and I fear its celebrity casting – in this case Brie Larson – doesn’t come out as well as she deserves to.

The driving force for the production, and by far the best part of it, is the chorus. This sextet (Hannah Bristow, Wallis Currie-Wood, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, Nardia Ruth, Rebecca Thorn and Adeola Yemitan) are present all the time, both narrating and responding to the action. They sing throughout, and Ted Hearne’s compositions are superb. Anne Carson’s script is strongest in the lyrics. And, importantly, the songs are good deal clearer than when the performers speak.

Elektra-credit-Helen-Murray

If the chorus brings the audience, other onlookers, close to events, it is worth remembering that there is a big world full of powerful people in this play. Carson fails to explain this, removing the action so far from its context, without providing an alternative, that it causes confusion. Most of the performers suffer: Stockard Channing plays mummy Clytemnestra, Marième Diouf and Patrick Vaill are Elektra’s siblings, and there’s a brief but powerful turn from the excellent Gregg Hicks. They all seem a little lost – and that’s an awful lot of talent to waste.

To add to the injury, the performers are put through the mill by director Daniel Fish. The stage revolves. The costumes are ungainly. There are a lot of microphones and a blinding light. And everyone is sprayed with some black fluid upon entrance. The atmosphere is one of experimentation. But these are experiments most will have seen before. To be fair, Fish uses all of the huge space (there’s a lot of dry ice). And while I hope Larsen is enjoying the experience, when it comes to her role, no one suffers more than her.

This isn’t a one woman show. The chorus is too strong for that and Larsen is a generous performer. But the focus is too much on the titular character which, ironically, makes Elektra weaker. Placing her in some kind of performance art space with touches of a spoken word open-mic night doesn’t just date the production, it diminishes her rebellion. Take Elektra’s singing: she sings the word ‘no’ (and Elektra says ‘no’ a lot). The point of it, as with many of the production’s bizarre movements, is a puzzle and it should be obvious that it will tire quickly. But it also means that Electra’s “destroying tongue” – her power – does not convince. And that is a tragedy.

Until 12 April 2025

www.elektraplay.com

Photos by Helen Murray

“Oklahoma!” at the Young Vic

Setting down some of what happens in the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic might help with appreciation of this new production. Remember, the romance between Laurey and her cowboy beau Curly includes an auction for her affections (those lunchboxes are fooling nobody). And Curly’s rival, Jud, is a sinister misfit afforded a vigilante trail upon his death. While many just love Oklahoma! It isn’t hard to see that the show is, as they say nowadays, ‘problematic’.

Whether you share concerns about the plot or not, what directors Daniel Fish and Jordan Fein do for this revival, which took a Tony in 2019, is fascinating. There’s a brooding air to the action and considerable tension – much of it from Scott Zielinski’s superb lighting design –that’s sure to take any audience by surprise. By highlighting Jud’s mental instability, all the characters become more interesting and the piece more nuanced.

Patrick-Vaill-in-Oklahoma at the Young-Vic
Patrick Vaill

Maybe the production isn’t quite as edgy as it aims to be. John Heginbotham’s choreography is desperate to appear outré. Blackout scenes and live video feeds feel self-conscious and ultimately pointless. But the basic idea of showing problems behind the optimism of the original is great. And the cast – Anoushka Lucas, Arthur Darvill and Patrick Vaill, as Laurey, Curly and Jud respectively – embrace the fuller roles superbly with impassioned performances that highlight strong acting skills.

Adding more sex and a more knowing humour is the production’s forte. There’s real passion between Laurey and Curly, indeed the whole soon-to-be State seems brimming with sexual tension. How these women handle corncobs, let alone the innuendo throughout, is brilliantly done. The second love story, another triangle with Ado Annie, Will Parker and Ali Hakim is a real joy. Performances from Marisha Wallace, James Davis and Stavros Dimitri come close to stealing the show.

All this and no mention of the music? Here is surely the biggest surprise. A stripped-back score, arranged by Daniel Kluger and supervised by him and Nathan Koci (also credited with additional vocal arrangements), is Oklahoma! as you’ve never heard it before. Injecting a country music feel along with a touch of rock is all a long way from the sweeping romance you might expect. But the music is expertly delivered and appropriate to the project’s exciting freshness as a whole.

Until 25 June 2022

www.youngvic.org

Photos by Marc Brenner