15 – 17 September
Lysistrata – or ‘she who disbanded armies’ – is a contemporary hard-hitting show by Bristol based Young SixSix, inspired by the Ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes. There is as much humour, especially in the first half, as there is sadness. I found myself on a roller coaster of emotions, laughing out loud with impeccably timed comedic moments – but also nearly in tears at several points. Personally, as a mother of a 19-year-old daughter and 21-year-old son, the show couldn’t have been more relevant and felt powerfully authentic in the characterisations, the language used, and the stories told.
The staging was simple but fitting – and I loved the way some cast members were sat in the audience, voicing opinions throughout the performance – then leaping onto the stage for group dances and ensembles. There was plenty of movement with performers constantly coming and going from all sides of the stage which gave for a very immersive show.
Lysistrata was originally performed back in 411 BC and was a comic account of a woman’s mission to end the Peloponesian War by denying the men of any sex – the only thing they truly desired. As the play showed so vividly – very little has changed across the ages.
There were so many themes that were touched on – for girls, the very real danger and terrible impact of needle spiking. For boys the pressures of peers that can get totally out of control. Other themes included the obsession of both sexes to looking good and ‘be attractive,’ the dynamics of living together, being a young carer for a sibling, pack mentality, work, partying – and underlying everything, the concept of love.
For me this breadth of themes was both a strength and a weakness – it vividly showed the huge array of pressures on young people today – but at the same time I would have liked more depth in some of the issues that were touched on, but unresolved.
The performances overall were really strong and convincing. What came across more than anything was the supportive nature of the cast – you felt this was a genuine group of friends who did really love each other. Young SixSix is an ensemble of young performers from across central and north Bristol drawn from schools and youth clubs, based at the Old Vic. Given the aim of the project is to draw young people into the theatre who haven’t considered it before, it seems like a huge success as several of the seasoned members are now off to drama school to continue their training. I can’t wait to see how their careers progress as this is a strong cohort of exactly the kind of diverse voices we need integrated into mainstream theatre today.
I would like to see this play performed in schools across the city. It would be a fantastic tool to spark discussion across so many issues – and I know it would engage a young audience through its mix of humour and grit, as well as the rap and song and dance, which is where it’s at for young people of today.
★★★★☆ Rachel Drummond-Hay, 16th September, 2022
Photo credit: Chelsey Cliff
