Review: Classics Department and Society – Aristophanes’ Thesmophoriazusae

With my housemate as the assistant director of the play that the Classics Department and society put on in the Arts Centre on 27 January, an unfavourable review from me has the potential to create a very awkward living situation. Despite this, there’s no point to a review if it isn’t honest. Thankfully, it was a brilliantly funny, modern take on a play which parodies Athenian society.

Never having studied classics, and knowing shamefully little about the ancient history, I was slightly concerned about being able to follow the plot. With the thought that character names would be longer than the queue at The Bread Oven, and “hilarious”classics related jokes, walking into a theatre full of lots of classicists was a slightly concerning prospect. All I had in my arsenal was the knowledge I’d gleaned from speed reading the plot from Wikipedia.

It was as if my worries had been pre-empted; a sheet giving the rundown of the plot, as well as the cast and crew, was given when going into the theatre. Although helpful, it was unnecessary. The play was both easy to follow, and massively entertaining, with an atmosphere set from the start with step dancers performing before the play began.

Incorporating modern, satirical and not always politically correct quips, such as “you Greeks always want money from Germans”and implying that UKIP are closet racists, provided much humour. At times perhaps a tad too explicit and crude, it allowed for a very blunt contrast between the language of the time and our sense of comedy today – transcending the boundary between 411 BCE (when it was first played) and now. Built upon with a modern and effective soundtrack, which included “Anaconda” and “Barbie Girl”, this was a play which retained the history with a current twist.

With expletives left, right and centre stage as well as overt allusions to sex, there was a pushing of boundaries that meant it was entertaining, as well as inciting some volatile emotion, whether it be humour or horror (as was the case with some elderly women sitting nearby). The dramatic portrayals by many of the cast, many of whom I am told are (seriously brave) first years was the core of the production, though. Only by committing fully to this style of comedy could it be funny, and it was. In particular, Euripides (Emma Johnson) and Mica (Maheen Rizvi) were convincing, the Kinsman (played by Jesse Chambers) was brilliantly funny, as was Agathon (Finlay Bell). Great legs, by the way.

It was an impressive feat from the Classics Department and society. Engaging, fluid (bar a slight mishap with a wine bottle masquerading as a baby…though more funny than disastrous) and, above all, entertaining. As my row chanted “TMB”- the director’s (very cool) nickname- at the end, it was a definite success. That’s despite the fact that I still can’t say Thesmophoriazusae. TMB! TMB! TMB!