Hertford Bop Cellar

Tuesday 1st December – Wednesday 2nd December, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday 3rd December, 7:00 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

“Roland Singer-Kingsmith as Pentheus was very impressive, [...] Matt Maltby playing Dionysus gave a performance of near perfection [...and] credit must also go to the director, Asia Osborne, whose innovative ideas and intelligent staging brought the whole story to life.” Liam Steward-George ★★★★★

“It is spellbinding and extremely powerful, and is guaranteed to leave you stunned.” Fran Wade ★★★★★

The Bacchae ★★★★★

Review by Liam Steward George

Whether you are new to Euripides’ The Bacchae or not, this production will have you gripped from start to finish, forcing you into it at frenetic speed and refusing to let up throughout. The story centres around the character Pentheus who rejects the god (his cousin) Dionysus and in doing so attempts to suppress his own sexuality and the ecstasy he yearns for. As a result Dionysus, essentially acting as a force of nature, punishes Pentheus and his family for their rejection of him in horrific fashion. The emotional focus of the play has to emphasise the uncontrollable power of Dionysus and the forces of nature wreaking havoc within the character of Pentheus. The energy sustained throughout the production was astounding, showing the raw emotion and animalistic nature of Bacchic frenzy that drives ordinary people to do extraordinary things. This production is an absolute must see.

The presentation of the Chorus was intelligent and effective. They provided an intense sexual undertone, while creating the sense of the ever present physical desire that Pentheus is repressing. The use of vocals and physical theatre added to this in an ingenious fashion, developing the mood of the play whilst also referencing back to the traditional construction of Greek theatre. Roland Singer-Kingsmith as Pentheus was very impressive. Whilst in his first appearance there seemed to be a slight sense of being ill at ease with such an intimate audience, this was soon dispelled. The internal trauma of conflicting desires between body and mind was extremely accurately portrayed. A solid and measured performance.

However, Matt Maltby playing Dionysus gave a performance of near perfection. From the moment the audience walked in he was already sat, surveying the situation in a confident and composed manner, exuding power from every part of his being. The mix of passionate outbursts and disturbingly calm control portrayed him accurately as the ‘horned-god.’ His constant presence in all scenes was disconcerting; his ability to not continually draw focus, immense. Even when he was not speaking, he regularly stared fixedly at audience members, depicting his immortal power and omniscience. A truly outstanding performance.

A huge amount of credit must also go to the director, Asia Osborne, whose innovative ideas and intelligent staging brought the whole story to life. I can find very little to fault it with. An absolute pleasure to watch such a polished and powerful production.

The Bacchae ★★★★★

Review by Fran Wade

The Hertford Bop Cellar may well have hosted debauchery in its time, but it seems safe to say that nothing it has witnessed before will have compared to the horrors portrayed in this performance of the Bacchae. Walking into the dark and extremely intimate warehouse-esque interior to a discordant music (engines revving?) was disconcerting enough, only to be confronted with the grinning Dionysus himself perched at the entrance: metatheatre used at its most oppressive.

The Bacchae tells the story of the god Dionysus who comes to Thebes to wreak revenge on the king Pentheus, who dishonours him by doubting that he really is a god. We hear of the bands of women cavorting on the mountains, watch Pentheus attempt and fail to enchain the god, disguised as a man, and finally suffer Dionysus’ cunning but dreadful plan come to its bitter fruition.

The play is a masterpiece of physical theatre, with many extremely well choreographed scenes representing fights and revels on the mountains as well as the anguished quasi-initiation of the dutiful old men, Teirisias and Cadmus. In this scene the god’s utter control is brought out by the worshippers’ almost brainwashed chanting, finely portraying the cultic aspect of the play and drawing the audience under his spell. Their nature as a cult is also brought out through costume, as Pentheus is the only one wearing shoes and with his shirt buttoned up, shrinking from the maenads’ dishevelled frenzy.

Matt Maltby is superb as Dionysus, exuding sexuality, nonchalance in his power and an evil glitter in his eye. He commands the action with aplomb, toying with the defensive and blustering Pentheus, gleefully manipulating the women who can hardly keep their hands off him and destroying people’ lives with a clap of his hands. The last scene is particularly poignant as the characters are released from his possession and come to realise the tragedy they have been a part of, and the play ends on a note as uncomfortable as the one on which it began.

This production has toured the UK and California and lives up to high audience expectations as well as the standard of acting deserved by the script. It is spellbinding and extremely powerful, and is guaranteed to leave you stunned.