Preview: WUDS presents Eurydice

Eurydice delivers a heart-breaking rendition of the tragic tale of Orpheus that will capture its audience within its bizarre, magical world when it opens Wednesday 11 May. With its runtime only just exceeding an hour, it provides a mesmerising interlude for the trials of Term 3.

The production elaborates on, and alters the Greek myth of Orpheus’ devastation at the loss of his wife, exploring the eponymous Eurydice’s death and and Orpheus’ subsequent descent to the underworld to bring his beloved back to the land of the living. Ruhl’s play combines fantastical elements with powerfully realistic relationships to form a compelling play that is brought to life wonderfully by the WUDS team.

I was completely blown away by the story and the skill of all involved.

I was lucky enough to be able to watch a full rehearsal of the play, and even though I saw them perform in a seminar room, without all the lights and sounds the full performance will have, I was still completely blown away by the story and the skill of all involved.

The play opens with a touching scene between the two lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice, and the innocence of their love makes the rest of their story even more harrowing. The actors – Aaron Chote as Orpheus and Laura Adebisi as Eurydice – worked well together, with an easy chemistry that makes their relationship believable and touching.

The play is not as purely depressing and sorrowful as I have so far made it seem to be; there are light-hearted moments of humour too.

Their romantic connection is contrasted with the father-daughter relationship which is explored when Eurydice dies and is reunited with her father in the underworld. Tom Bulpett is exceptional in his role as Eurydice’s father, and his devotion to his daughter is clear and makes Eurydice’s choice between her husband and her father towards the play’s denouement even more torturous.

However, the play is not as purely depressing and sorrowful as I have so far made it seem to be. There are light-hearted moments of humour, particularly in the form of the Chorus of Stones, who maintain order in the underworld. Their apathy and deadpan announcements act as amusing interludes, and they often speak with seamless unity that makes it clear how well rehearsed the play is.

Transport yourselves away from the struggles of revision and appreciate the fantastic work the entire team has done.

There is also the unnerving figure of the Lord of the Underworld, a child depicted through a puppet on the arm of Lucy Bird, which at first glance looks as if it should be a comic character, but is actually genuinely unsettling due to his predatory advances on Eurydice.

Ultimately, Eurydice is, as Charles Isherwood says, a “weird and wonderful” play, and one which I would encourage you all to see when it plays at the Warwick Arts Centre, in order to transport yourselves away from the struggles of revision and to appreciate the fantastic work the entire team has done.

Eurydice is showing from Wednesday 11, until Saturday 14 May, with tickets available here.