Elektra – Stratford Festival 2012
Thanks to the Stratford Festival, I am developing a passion for Greek tragedy. This production of Elektra, starring Yanna MacIntosh in the title role and Seana McKenna as Clytemnestra, definitely added to my enthusiasm.
The director of this production, Thomas Moschopolous, is Greek and clearly brought a contemporary Greek sensibility to the production. The staging was excellent, particularly for someone who had never worked on the Paterson stage before. The chorus was brilliant, moving around the space, taking turns with the lines and engaging the audience.
Hearing the two leading actors discuss the production at a Meet the Festival a week later pointed out how much I had missed. I think I need to see it again.
I sometimes have trouble with Yanna MacIntosh when she is in roles that need to develop empathy from the audience. It’s funny, because McKenna, who seems a much more controlled actress, seems to be able to generate it with no apparent effort – although I am sure there is lots of craft involved. In this case, MacIntosh does an excellent job with a difficult role, but one she seems made for.
Anyway, Greek Tragedy has always been a bit hard for me to “get”, although we have seen several that have been very effective. One problem has been the chorus, which has tended to seem a rather weird concept. Here, though the chorus was not only effective, it was integral to the production and its stand-out feature. The performers were excellent, but the composer, Kornilios
Selamsis, has made a major contribution to making the chorus, and the whole production worked.