Hypatia ☆☆☆☆☆
(Image by Marshall Stay)
Hypatia is a vibrant production based on the historical events of a noble, intellectual woman who was drastically ahead of her times. Hypatia of Alexandria was an educator, astronomer, and mathematician who brutally realised the rise of Christianity in a patriarchal world. Through conventions of Butoh and Greek Theatre, The Open Lid Ensemble have created an outstanding production that is breath-taking, didactic, and accurate.
The movement was connected, meaningful, and dynamic. I’ve seen some recent ‘physical theatre’ productions that have just been mere acrobatic routines: movements that don’t aid the delivery or audience-comprehension of the narrative, rather add a contemporary banner to their production. This is not the case for this production. It is evident that the creative ensemble has experience in Physical Theatre and comprehend how movement can be utilised to enhance storytelling and meaning. Under the precise eye of Movement Mentor Frances Barbe, the ensemble moved fluidly and cohesively with meaningful physicality. Tempo, repetition, body-isolation, and the grotesque-form were developed and applied to effectively communicate characterisation and dramatic action. The Greek chorus was effective in their functions as a dramatic ensemble, community voice, and multi-role characterisations. All of the creative cast had individual characteristics and facets to offer the performance. Together, the creative ensemble was diverse and perhaps representative of the notion that all women are distinct yet united in this history, which too belongs and serves as a didactic historical account to all us, regardless of sex.
(Image by Marshall Stay)
This production is ridiculously timely as it pours with gender-based issues and political messes that are unfortunately still so relevant today, specifically to ‘contemporary’ Australia. Furthermore, this production raises concerns about equality, which is embarrassingly and sadly still an issue, again specific to our –yes, tongue-in-cheek – ‘contemporary’ Australia. This production well and truly raises the well-polished mirror to the face of contemporary Australia and asks, ‘what the fuck’ has changed since Ancient civilisation, circa 415. Hypatia is a potently powerful production that will leave you with a bitter taste for social change. One line that comes to mind from the production is that in order to achieve justice one must do more than just ‘not do bad’: one must actively endorse and fight for equality.
(Image by Marshall Stay)
With the skillset of dramaturge Finn O’Branagáin, the production remained exceedingly authentic – almost a verbatim account – to the history. The past realities go beyond just informing the devising process as they authentically represent the real Hypatia and times in which she pioneered. The conclusion of Hypatia is a perfect nod towards the dramaturgy of this production as cherry, blood-like liquid decanted from the ceiling of The BlueRoom Theatre; it was clear twofold that this was a symbol of the bloodshed from Hypatia’s gruesome death and also a crimson reminder of the gender-inequality that women like Hypatia face. Moreover, the thorough dramaturgy reverberated the historical accounts of Hypatia’s death as tiles that resembled Hypatia were torn off the theatre walls and smashed across the floor, left to soak in the blood-like fluid, which was still hypnotically seeping from the theatre roof. This is yet another dramaturgical insight at play, regarding the Christian group who murdered Hypatia by peeling her skin off with tiles and oyster shells (they also stripped her naked, gouged her eyes out, and mutilated her, then proceeded to tare her limbs off and burn the still-living Hypatia). A historical production like this doesn’t come at ease without a specific-eye and effort in the dramaturgical process. The production not only authentically told the story of Hypatia, based on historical records, but also acknowledged that this story has been filtered by the thousands of years between societies and also has been pushed through the distortive lens of various males, like Socrates.
(Image by Marshall Stay)
The production also raises the acquainted issue that women can’t be regarded as intellectual and dignified without it being a secondary remark to their looks or beauty. This notion echoes previous women with the likes of Medea, who was also accused of witchcraft and as we know, her tale ends with disastrous consequences. Medea was also a powerful woman who was a force to be reckoned with and again, she suffered in a mainstream, patriarchal society. There are many questions posed by Hypatia: a key interrogation is if these notions of gender performativity and sex categorisation are remaining drones of a humming patriarchal past that remains thriving?
Hypatia by The Open Lid Ensemble is a production that will stay with you for a lifetime. It’s more than a pleasant evening of theatre; it’s educative, authentically historical, and shamefully relevant of the times in which we live today. Grab your computer, phone, or shoes and go to get your tickets to Hypatia!
More Info & Tickets: http://blueroom.org.au/events/hypatia/
- Written by Gregory Ryan