Review: PYGMALION, APHRODITE and ICARUS, Talking Gods Festival, Arrows & Traps

The world, as I’m sure you know Besties, is a confusing and contradictory thing and yet, it is the most extraordinary place and is home to some extraordinary pieces of theatre. And it is without a shadow of a doubt that the Talking Gods performances by Arrows & Traps fit into this category.

This series of performances are a reimagining and retelling of the amazing stories we all know of some of the most powerful Greek gods and goddesses. When we think of the Greek gods, we associate them with strength, power and a sense of nobility and yet in these performances, we see them as almost human, struggling with the emotions that we sometimes feel every day. 

We see the God of War falling in love with his therapist. We see Pygmalion isolating himself and yet finding love in the female voice of a video game. We see Aphrodite struggling to find something she can call her own. We hear that Zeus is on trial for crimes against women and we see Icarus discover that his father committed suicide, and that he has a half sister and brother that he never knew about. 

It is no secret that the pandemic has completely changed the way we view and perform theatre. For a while, there was a sense that no one was really sure what to do. But what Arrows & Traps does with these performances is to find a simple yet powerful way to express their thoughts and respond to the pandemic. There are so many spoken lines throughout each story that make so much sense and hit home regarding the current climate.

Pygmalion tells us ‘sometimes you have to take the scenic route’ and find a way of ‘living in a world that you can live with’.

Aphrodite declares that ‘we are who we are’ which is something that we could all be reminded of every now and again.

Aries asks the big question when it comes to sexual assault, and even crime in general, ‘why do we remember the men, but not the lights that they snuffed out?’ 

Ariadne reminds us and her brother Icarus that we ‘have to hold on to the memories of sunlight’ while Hestia tells us that ‘family really is all we have.’

These stories are so powerful, beautifully told and very moving – enough to move us to tears, Besties. There is a real message about how the theatre has suffered as a result of COVID-19, however it has to be said that the pandemic has forced people within the arts to be more creative. Some of the work that has been produced – including this festival – has been interesting, powerful, influential and in some cases, absolutely flawless. Theatre has always been so much more than what you see on stage – it is about the world that theatre companies create and how audiences can engage and connect with what is being said. 

It is easy to understand the hardships that these characters go through because we have been going through similar emotions throughout the pandemic. 

Most of us have been locked up in our houses and are looking for something to bring us back to the world, like Pygmalion.

Many of us have experienced loneliness and have been looking for something to call our own, like Aphrodite. 

A select few have been sat at home, questioning the world we live in and the crimes against people that have been committed, like Aries. 

And lastly, like Icarus and Ariadne, we have all be removed from or cut off from our families because of the pandemic, and some of us – unfortunately – have lost people. 

But it is so important to remember that these moments, these feelings do not last forever, just like the theatres will not be closed forever. And here at West End Best Friend, we believe that when we can all roam free - and when the theatres reopen - the work and performances that we produce will be better and brighter. We will have our moment in the spotlight once more.

If you have not yet seen any of these performances, please do! It has certainly been an emotional and incredible experience that I think all of you Besties out there could do with. 

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Megan Webb

To watch all of the episodes in the series, please click here.