<<  -- 6 --  David Wilkins    Plea for peace

It takes the interval to prepare you for the onslaught of priapism that heralds Act Two. Not the sort of thing all of us would be happy sitting next to our granny to watch but, of course, the Greeks have, sensibly, a couple of thousand years of being less inhibited about such things. One serious concern at this stage, though, was a disassociation between the romantic lushness of some of the music and the knockabout nature of the stage business. It just seemed rather odd to find Theodorakis reaching for his 'Puccinian moment' with Lysistrata and Cinesias (Dimitris Tiliakos) singing about a 'bulging penis,' and 'What do I do with this cock?' My fault, I'm sure. It must be a cultural thing!

A lot of fun is had here. You learn, for example, how difficult climbing a ladder can be if your member is flattering enough to become caught between the rungs but, conversely, how useful it can be for hanging a bucket from. The music (ever veering in the direction of Puccini) is in the spirit of Gianni Schicchi. The action is a few degrees more riotous.

The arrival of the Spartan Messenger (entertainingly acted and well sung by Christophoros Stamboglis) brings more jokes about walking difficulties. 'What are you -- a man or a broomstick?' asks the Magistrate. The music, however, has been on a bit of a downward spiral of invention for a while. Echoes of someone like Chavez serve briefly but there is a lot of recycling of material. A couple of choruses are powerfully sung (except that over-amplification muddies the textures). When the Poet joins in with a hymn-like address of the audience, 'Dear spectators, fellow citizens! We have not one mean word for anybody. Only good you will see from us now,' there is a revival of passion but, also, a certain feeling of relentlessness. Just a touch too loud for too long, perhaps.

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