Edinburgh Fringe: Eurydice – C eca
Writer: Sarah Ruhl
Directors: Rebecca Speller & Nick Flooks
Choreographer: Louise Wilcox
Reviewer: Val Baskott
The Public Reviews Rating: 
This year’s Fringe offering Eurydice from UCLU is a re-telling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth by American playwright Sarah Ruhl.
Eurydice is (Melissa Taylor) about to marry Orpheus (Rohan Pai). In the Underworld her dead father (Tim Mac) writes her letters; one finally reaches the land of the living but falls into an exploiting hand. Eurydice dies on her wedding day, and finds herself in the Underworld with little memory of Orpheus or of who she is until her dead father intervenes. Orpheus confronts the Lord of the Underworld (Rob Thomson) and learns the terms of Eurydice’s return to earth. In Ruhl’s version it ‘s Eurydice who makes Orpheus turn, her uncertainty reflecting the strong new-found relationship with her father.
Taylor gives a strong performance as Eurydice, convincingly evoking a breadth of emotion from ditsy to distraught. Thomson narrowly avoids over hamming up the exploiter and oozes through the Lord of the Underworld. Mac and Pai are solid in their respective roles as Father and a dreamy Orpheus.
All credit too to the chorus of Stones and the writhing rivers of the Underworld . The work is well choreographed with slick execution, and puppetry is used with humour and conviction.
However the directors should insist on no late admissions. This performance was marred by five late arrivals over a couple of minutes, clattering down to the empty front seats. Prospective audiences should note the route to the auditorium in eca is devious and requires concentration if you have missed the guide out front.
Until 27th August (Not 14)
Edinburgh Fringe: Eurydice - C eca,Tags: 2012, C ECA, Ed Fringe, Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh Fringe, Eurydice, Louise Wilcox, Melissa Taylor, Nick Flooks, Rebecca Speller, Rob Thomson, Rohan Pai, Sarah Ruhl, Tim Mac, UCLU Runaground
