Three stars
Be careful who you flirt with over a business lunch, or you might end up in the same heap of trouble as Daphne, the sexually adventurous heroine of Rafaella Marcus’ play, which starts off like a thoroughly modern piece of dating game froth, but ends up taking a far darker turn into the forest. Out of this comes a heady dissection of power, manipulation and psychological abuse within the emotional maze that Daphne finds herself trapped inside.
At first glance, Marcus’ play is as first world zeitgeisty as it gets, and may yet make a glossy prime time mainstream thriller. Given that it is also a loose knit twenty-first century reimagining of the story in Ovid’s Metamorphosis, in which the god Apollo pursues the nymph Daphne until she turns into a laurel tree, the bar is raised considerably in terms of dramatic chops.
Jessica Lazar’s production - a collaboration between Atticist, Ellie Keel Productions, and MAST Mayflower Studios in association with 45North - sees Jessica Clark initially present Daphne as motormouthed and easy to please before she falls for her romantic foils, all played by Rebecca Banatvolo. The result is a whirlwind of a thriller that sees Daphne find her true nature from which she draws her strength, able to see the wood for the trees at last.
Summerhall Roundabout until 28 August, 12.50-2pm.
The List, August 2022
ends
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