The Almeida Theatre’s Greek season has us as excited as a builder of giant wooden horses in the run up to Trojan War Appreciation Day, so imagine our delight at peeking into rehearsals for Oresteia.
These pictures, snapped by Manuel Harlan, are far from the moody posters currently marketing the season. There’s no heater clutching, lighter wielding or ominous blending going on here.
In fact, it all seems very cheery given the gamut of revenge and emotional trauma delivered in Aeschylus’ tales of family turmoil spanning decades.
There are, sadly, no clues as to what director and adaptor Robert Icke might have done to mould this classic for the modern stage, but we’re assured the man behind acclaimed productions of 1984 and Mr Burns has worked his magic on this Greek treat. Certainly its concerns with the achievability of justice are timeless.
If you squint at the wall behind the rehearsing children, you might be able to glean a little about the direction the production is taking, but I’ll think you’d need eyesight better than a Trojan archer aiming for an exposed foot to make much out.
Instead, enjoy the sight of Lia Williams, Jessica Brown Findlay et al rehearsing before heading to the Almeida Theatre from 29 May to see the show.