Pandora puts divalicious twist on a Greek myth
Centuries ago, a beautiful goddess named Pandora was tricked by the evil Medusa into opening a magic box which unleashed evil onto the land. Now, the Greek myth has been reimagined into an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza.
Feast Festival show Pandora opened with a pre-recorded monologue which outlined the story of Pandora and her fellow gods and goddesses, though the sound was often distorted and the accompanying music too loud, making it difficult to hear.
But after a slow start featuring several solo song and dance performances, the performance launched into action with the appearance of the fearsome Medusa – and from there it just got better as the battle between good and evil played out against a soundtrack of artists including Lady Gaga and Evanescence.
Princess Laya (show creator Luke Schubert) delivered an energetic performance as Pandora, a young goddess with some flash dance moves. Malt Biscuit embraced her role to deliver a unique and at times hilarious performance as Medusa, while Adrian and Jayke were devilishly handsome as Medusa’s evil undertakers.
Venus Amore and Alexis Biffin starred as fellow goddesses Athena and Aphrodite, while Paul was Hades. Jed, Konstanz and Leighton showed off their fighting skills as Hermes, Apollo and Ares, and special guest Fifi La Douche completed the cast.
The stunning costumes ranged from Roman-style dresses and head-dresses to fearsome battle armour and superhero-inspired capes. Malt Biscuit dazzled in an emerald-green dress complete with a head-dress of green snakes, while the stylish battle suits worn by Pandora, Aphrodite and Athena would give Superwoman a run for her money.
The simple stage was decorated with two vine-covered pillars, a projected image of a mythical land and, of course, Pandora’s Box (which was filled with more than one surprise for the audience). Well-choreographed dance routines enabled the talented cast to make full use of the limited space, and the fact that they were able to deliver an epic battle scene on such a small stage was impressive.
Despite initial technical difficulties and some obvious nerves, the cast pulled out all stops to deliver a glamorous, fun-filled show which was a hit with the Feast audience.
Pandora was performed for one night at the Nexus Theatre, Lion Arts Centre, as part of Feast Festival, which continues until November 29.
