Iphigenia in Splott is not only successful in reimagining the rhetorical poetry of its Euripidean influence its also an important play. The socalled chav culture has been unremittingly mocked in the media and this attempt to humanise the sort of person sneered at in Channel 5 documentaries is long overdue. Staged as part of 'A Nation's Theatre' (Battersea Arts Centre and The Guardian). Iphigenia In Splott: A Foul Mouthed Greek Heroine By Ross Looking at us straight in the eye, in the most unnerving manner, Sophie Melville dares us to look away. Her stance is strong and electric, and her gaze unnerving. She even describes a moment in this electric 80 minute one person show when she stares directly into the eyes Gary Owen, is the winner of the Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards 2015 and the James Tait Black Drama Prize for Iphigenia in Splott as well as the George Devine, Meyer Whitworth and PearsonBest Play Awards. LONDON Its unlikely that Effie, the lippy young Welshwoman who appears before us in Gary Owens remarkable Iphigenia in Splott, knows much about the landscape of Greek tragedy that. The most harrowing thing on the London stage last year was the bit in the Almeidas Oresteia that covered the myth of Iphigenia, the little girl sacrificed by her father to appease the. With Melville, Iphigenia in Splott premiered in 2015 at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, which is close to the town of Splott. The production was then performed in Edinburgh, Scotland, and later at Londons National Theatre. ' Three key factors are responsible for making Iphigenia in Splott what I think is an extraordinary play. The first is Owens excellent script razorsharp, witty and full of emotion, its the work of a writer who has his pulse firmly on the mood of the world around him. Iphigenia in Splott review at the Nationals Temporary Theatre, London blisteringly powerful Sophie Melville in Iphigenia in Splott. Iphigenia in Splott Trailer watch the full production on Digital Theatre here: Gary Owens reworking of the classic Greek myth of Iphigenia is here moved to Cardiff. Resumo Iphigenia in Splott Stumbling down Clifton Street at 11: 30am drunk, Effie is the kind of girl youd avoid eye contact with, silently passing judgement. We think we know her, but we dont know the half of it. Includes the plays: Violence and Son, Iphigenia in Splott, Blackthorn, In the Pipeline, Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian, Love Steals Us From Loneliness and Mum Dad. On the surface there are few similarities between Effie, the deprived, promiscuous young woman of Gary Owens clever and moving monologue, and the Iphigenia of Greek mythology who is sacrificed. Iphigenia in Splott offers one of the most satisfying theatrical experiences around, with topnotch writing and an electrifying solo performer, and does so in a way that almost seems effortless. ( Iphigenia in Splott plays at 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, through June 4, 2017. In Greek mythology, Iphigenia ( f d n a. ; Ancient Greek: , Iphigeneia) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis, who retaliates by commanding him to kill Iphigenia as a sacrifice so his ships can sail to Troy. In some versions, Iphigenia is sacrificed at Aulis, but in. Effie, the human firestorm raging through Gary Owens Iphigenia in Splott, at 59E59 Theaters, knows that if you saw her coming down the sidewalk. Effie is the kind of person you would probably do your best to avoid if you saw her in the street. She is a razortongued, volatile, vodkaforbreakfast young woman living in a district of Cardiff. And because of the parallel to the Greek myth, Iphigenia in Splott emphasises (or reinforces) the need to appreciate others sacrifices, to not stand in judgement, that sometimes some people make their sacrifice so the lives of other can be improved. 'Three key factors are responsible for making Iphigenia in Splott what I think is an extraordinary play. The first is Owen's excellent script razorsharp, witty and full of emotion, it's the work of a writer who has his pulse firmly on the mood of the world around him. com Iphigenia in Splott will linger with you, like a strange dream, for days. In Rachel O'Riordan's brilliantly taut production for Sherman Cymru Sophie Melville plays Effie in a performance that crackles. Stumbling down Clifton Street at 11: 30 am drunk, Effie is the kind of girl you'd avoid eye contact with, silently passing judgement. We think we know her, but we don't know the half of it. Iphigenia in Splott Sophie Melville carries the show with visceral manic energy one minute then heartbreaking vulnerability the next. A few fluorescent light bulbs and three chairs. Iphigenia in Splott is a shocking, powerful and moving play, a masterpiece of postrecession theatre; stateofthenation told via the state of an individual. Theatre Iphigenia in Splott Sherman Cymru, Cardiff Directed by Sherman Cymrus Rachel ORiordan, Iphigenia in Splott is an undeniably powerful piece of theatre, interlacing exceptional writing and phenomenal acting to create a world and character that will break your heart. Iphigenia in Splott, his latest play to come to the London stage, has already gathered five star reviews and a 'Best New Play' award from its premiere at the Sherman Cymru Theatre in Wales, and is just as superlative at the National's Temporary Theatre. It's already won over audiences in Cardiff and Edinburgh and secured a run at London's National Theatre but now Sherman Cymru 's Iphigenia In Splott has won a UK Theatre Award. For the 75 minutes of Iphigenia In Splott, however, the focus is solely on actress Sophie Melville, who does a beautiful job. Last seen at the Sherman as Shakespeares flighty Juliet, here she is utterly convincing as a hardbitten, pottymouthed, sexually overconfident innercity siren. 20 12 A clock icon to represent the Performance Times in vector format Archived; Social Sharing Icon to indicate that the content can be shared. Email Icon to indicate that the content can be shared via email. Iphigenia in Splott is written by one of Wales finest playwrights, Gary Owen and directed by Sherman Cymrus new Artistic Director, Rachel O'Riordan. Set in the tough innercity environment of Splott (a Cardiff suburb), Owen's funny and profoundly moving adaptation of Euripides tragic myth boldly explores social injustice and the. For a while, Iphigenia in Splott (a district of Cardiff about 20 minutes walk from the the theatre) seems like a pretty normal contemporary monologue. Effie (Sophie Melville) is a hardnosed. Inspired by the wellknown Greek myth of an ultimate sacrifice, and winner of Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards, audiences are invited to meet the tempestuous Effie as she bids to turn her life around in Gary Owen's Iphigenia In Splott. [Gary Owen Stumbling down Clifton Street at 11: 30am drunk, Effie is the kind of girl you'd avoid eye contact with, silently passing judgement. Iphigenia in Splott is a fantastic piece of theatre and deserves five stars for its message alone. (c) Wendy Thomson 2016 Review is based on the production seen at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Pleasance Dome, presented by Sherman Cymru, Edinburgh August 2015. Iphigenia in Splott, Temporary Theatre, National Theatre 5 The Iphigenia of Greek mythical lore was sacrificed to the gods by her father as a bribe for calm waters in their naval battle against Troy. The link between Greek myth and a deprived district of Cardiff is not an obvious one, and Iphigenia in Splott raises this intriguing question tantalisingly. Sherman Cymrus production presents the answer deftly, and while the eventual reveal is fairly blunt, it does not diminish too much what has. Iphigenia In Splott plays at the National Theatres Temporary Theatre until 20 February. You can book tickets through the theatres website. Play Theatre Spot Test: The Try Not To Sing Along Challenge 2. The story of Iphigenia is a very important one for me and I worried at times while reading Iphigenia in Splott that the title was not doing justice to the brilliance of Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis, but the ending laid my misgivings to rest. UK Theatre Award for Best New Play 2015, Sherman Cymru's Iphigenia in Splott, heads to London at the National Theatres Temporary Theatre, before touring across the UK. Sophie Melville is amazing as Effie in 'Iphigenia in Splott. ' Her rage is transfixing and often humorous, albeit exhausting, as she berates anything or anyone that wanders into her attention. Effie tells the story of when her life changed, and she realized that more was possible in life. Iphigenia is the daughter of the state sacrificed for something as trivial as wind or as arbitrary as austerity. And so in that ending, when those subtleties are laid bare, it doesnt matter if it explains the play in full deus ex style. Splott (Welsh: Y Sblot) is a district and community in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly knit terraced houses. presented by Sherman Cymru by Gary Owen, presented by Sherman Cymru. 27 January 20 February Running Time: to be confirmed. Arthur Hughes and Genevive Barr discuss the show. Iphigenia in Splott, a conversation in text by Leslie R Herman Jones Thursday May 25th, 2017 Leslie Herman Jones This response started as a real text convo between me in NYC and Joel (JF) in our home in Adamsdown, Cardiff. A tiny fireball of sneering boozefilled aggression Sophie Melville as Effie in Iphigenia in Splott. Photograph: Photo by Mark Douet I cant speak. And there is no one to speak for me. Iphigenia in Splott is a shocking, powerful and moving play, a masterpiece of postrecession theatre; stateofthenation told via the state of an individual. Tom Cat in the Red Room Sophie Melville is phenomenal as the volatile Effie. Sophie Melville stars in Gary Owen's Iphigenia in Splott, directed by Rachel O'Riordan, at 59E59 Theaters. ( Mark Douet) A woman sits onstage wearing a mean glare and a tight ponytail. Gary Owen is a Welsh playwright and screenwriter. His recent plays include Violence and Son which had its premiere at the Royal Court in June 2015, and Iphigenia in Splott for which he won the James Tait Black Prize for Drama. The story of Iphigenia is a very important one for me and I worried at times while reading Iphigenia in Splott that the title was not doing justice to the brilliance of Euripides Iphigenia in Aulis, but the ending laid my misgivings to rest. [Gary Owen 'What gets me through is knowing I took this pain, and saved all of you from suffering the same. ' Stumbling down Clifton Street at 11: 30am drunk, Effie is the kind of girl you'd avoid eye contact. Iphigenia in Splott, National Theatre (Temporary), London A dramatic sucker punch Gary Owens drama veers into unexpected and fascinating territory Sophie Melville in 'Iphigenia in Splot.