On the 13th to the 15th of December 2007 fourteen students slipped into character roles which have been performed all over the world on hundreds of occasions for two and a half thousand years. Not only were they re-enacting ancient theatre, they were adding their names to a tradition of Electra performances straddling three millennia.  Although ancient, the play addresses still vital issues:  revenge; fraught family relationships; murder. 

The cast were superb; the chorus a haunting yet vivid presence on stage, mediating and amplifying the emotions and reactions of the audience: pitying one moment, horrified the next. The lighting and sound effects, not to mention the set, all enhanced the dark mood of the play, creating a really textured drama, appealing to all the senses.

The recognition scene in which Electra laments the death of her brother unaware at first that it is in fact her brother, who is the bearer of this news, was brilliantly pulled off. The irony of the scene served only to foreground its essential pathos.  Amy Loughrey as Orestes and Vicky Odd as Electra combined perfectly to produce an unforgettable theatrical experience. It is often difficult for a young, relatively inexperienced cast to be convincing in a straight play; it was therefore an even greater feat for such a young cast of tyros to accomplish so magnificently what they did with an ancient, foreign tragedy.

The three performances were well-attended by friends, families, Townley students and staff and classics students from schools around the borough. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in this production, from the cast to the crew to all those staff working behind the scenes in the 2006 building without whose crucial contributions, productions such as these would not be possible.

Mr. Giles (Director).