Thyestes
The Hayloft Project
Malthouse Theatre
September 16 – October 3
Tickets: $23 – $30

Ah, those Ancient Greeks. Modern storytelling really has nothing on them when it comes to betrayal, revenge and murder. Perhaps the bloodiest revenge story of all is the tale of Thyestes.

Photography - Jeff Busby

Over the last few years the Hayloft Project have been winning awards and stirring up all kinds of praise from around the country. Their latest production of Thyestes, showing at the Malthouse Theatre as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, shows that the praise is well deserved.

For those not familiar with the Seneca myth, the story revolves around two brothers, Thyestes and Atreus, who are exiled from the kingdom of Pisa for murdering their half brother in pursuit of power and subsequently spend the rest of their lives in a struggle with each other for the right to rule the land of Mycenea. The grisliest result of the feud comes when Thyestes is tricked by his brother into unwittingly eating his own sons.

Directed by Simon Stone, this production sees the setting changed to present day, the exact location remaining ambiguous, and only the most integral plot elements being kept. It’s a very post-modern interpretation, following in the footsteps of the many modernizations of Shakespeare stories we have seen in recent years, incorporating pop culture references while chronologically shuffling events. The result is an eloquent depiction of the timeless original themes of jealousy, rage and revenge.

The acting is simply sublime. Mark Leonard Winter, from last year’s captivating Van Diemens Land and several other Hayloft Project productions, is truly mesmerizing as Atreus. His performance, channeling equal parts Tony Montana and Patrick Bateman, is genuinely show stealing. What makes this all the more impressive is the display of talent from his co-stars, Thomas Henning (Thyestes) and Chris Ryan (everybody else) who also give stirring vocal performances.

Due credit must be given to set designer Claude Marcos, sound designer Stefan Gregory and light designer Govin Ruben who achieve the unique and minimalist look, which the company is fast becoming noted for. The soundtrack gives the production a terrifying feel, chopping and changing from haunting choirs to hard rock to Roy Orbison. Who, curiously enough, is incorporated into the script, as some tragic details from his life resemble those of our Ancient Greek friends.

The biggest problem, however, is the ambiguity of the script. The director’s note in the program tells us that we are being presented with a “series of moments between atrocities…the mundanity before the drama and the long silence after it.” Hence, a large portion of the play is displays of these ‘mundane’ moments, and so be it – mundane here does not mean boring at all.

But while artistic exploration of themes and creative liberty are beautiful and significant aspects of theatre, we should not forget that the story must remain of importance, and a balance must be found. After all, if your show is titled Thyestes, then you must tell his story. And the fact is that without the help of the comprehensive synopsis printed in the program, along with pre-scene updates displayed on an LED screen, it would be very difficult to discern where the narrative was up to on stage.

After the show an overheard conversation tells me that up to an hour of the show had been cut and it’s a shame really because, although it ran for 90 minutes, it really never sags and an extra half hour would make time for some badly needed plot development. Plot grievances aside, Thyestes is another triumph for the Hayloft Project and well worth a look during the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Click here for Laneway‘s full coverage of the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival.