A great Greek army, on its way to Troy to recapture the kidnapped beauty Helen, is becalmed at Aulis. Its commander Agamemnon has offended the goddess Artemis, and she will not lift her punishment until he sacrifices his daughter to her. He agonises over the situation, but finally decides to obey, and sends for Iphigenia under the pretext of an arranged marriage to the warrior Achilles. But her mother Clytemnestra, not about to miss a wedding, comes with her.
On this foundation, Euripides erected a complex structure of debate and philosophy. What are the justifications for the horrors of war? Why must one man's patriotism be another man's wound? Can it ever be right to sacrifice the innocent for an alleged greater good? Is mankind helplessly manipulated by tribal and quasi-religious forces? If great drama asks great questions, then this ancient author's stature is still towering and relevant.
This translation by Don Taylor sets the play in an indeterminate time, a kind of neutral present, and uses language which is informal but authoritative. It makes it easy to become involved in the exchanges between the characters as they flail at each other. Agamemnon (Chris McHallem) is a nation's leader, and must finally yield to that role. Clytemnestra (Kate Duchene) is a woman and mother, and the anger and poison grows inside her. Iphigenia (Pauline Hutton), a frightened child, is finally persuaded that her duty lies in dying nobly for her country, and embraces the inevitable.
These three lead performances are commanding, and tow others in their wake. Frank Laverty's Menelaus, husband of Helen, is a forceful portrayal of a wounded man. Justin Salinger's egotistic Achilles makes its mark, and Peter Needham's Old Man has roots in the action.
A chorus of five matronly figures flutter around the stage, filling interstices as required. As directed by Katie Mitchell, with a sensitivity which gets to the play's heart, they all offer a penetrating interpretation of one of theatre's great dramas.
It is helpful and instructive, in watching this, to have a sense of the rippling descent of tragedy through the Greek generations, of the cycle of myths in which the characters are embedded. Excellent programme notes, by Marina Carr and Mairead Delaney, provide basic information here, and are well worth a scan before the curtain rises.
Continues until April 21st; To book tel: 01-8787222
