Hercules
Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic
THE Young Company at Bristol Old Vic has done it again. Having explored the role of women in the modern world in the powerful T***k You, they have now turned their attention to the world young men find themselves in, with a modern myth retelling of the mightiest of the male Hercules.
Teamed up with past alumni of the YC (from the award-winning The Wardrobe Ensemble) the 17 youngsters explode the tale of the mortal son of a God, into something modern, sharp and theatrically playful. The sophistication and ambition in a group this young is astonishing.
Thebes here isn’t the Ancient Greek city of yore, but a ping pong club ruled over by the strutting, alpha-male Zeus and his star pupil, his prodigiously talented son Hercules.
Its first half is all set-up - as in all Greek myths there is a lot to get through- with tales of the siring of Hercules, his relationships with family both mortals and Gods, and his gaining and eventual slaying of a family of his own.
Like all the best stories though, its all in how you tell it, and it’s a delight here, a ping-pong battle that literally spins 360 degrees, and a pas-de-deux that begins in a first date and ends with him married and with two children among others.
In the more familiar second act, we bear witness to the twelve tasks, each given a modern spin and the final tale in his downfall.
Yet this Hercules, for all his pow- ers; his strength, looks and determination; fails in what it is to be a man.
As his friend Artemis spits out at him “a real man is happy to show who he is”. This demi-God is a closed book, swallowed up by grief and unsure of what he wants, trapped in a philosophy where a man should aspire to be more Clint and less RuPaul. All men have been told to bottle up and stay strong even if they’re breaking on the inside. It’s a hard cycle to break away from. Even (especially) for the son of Zeus.
Helena Middleton’s production is a constantly fluid thing, one movement bleeding into the next. Each performer, ranging from the ages of 11 to 22 tackle their roles with vigour and commitment, their sense of ownership of the project obvious.
A line of dialogue can sometimes be lost over the amplified sound and the ending slightly rushed, but in a time when the world can feel like its falling apart, these youngsters give you hope of a brighter, more understanding future.
Men will always like football and fast cars, but for the sake of the world, there is more to eke out.
Hercules finished its run at the Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic, on Saturday.