OPHELIA REWOUND - REVIEW - APPLECART ARTS -

One-woman plays have exploded in popularity in recent years, as have retellings of classic dramas. Ophelia Rewound fits the intersection between both, and it’s easy to see why this niche has such contemporary relevance. Both allow the redress of historic misogyny within the theatre; rather than female (or even, in the case of the original Ophelia, male) actors speaking women as written by men, the one-woman play allows the writer to both write and speak her truth. Adding the character of Ophelia to the mix firmly asserts the voices of women in theatre dominated by men; when women are allowed to speak, they have stories to tell that are every bit as important.

Hamlet talks about his death possibly more than any other literary character. Ophelia, by contrast, dies offstage. Writer, director, and performer Antigoni Spanou’s total creative control, then, feels like a real two fingers to that historical imbalance. This is Spanou’s story, and she will tell it her way. And indeed, this is Spanou’s story – Ophelia is a way into a much more personal piece of theatre. Beginning with what everyone knows about Ophelia – her suicide – the audience is invited to literally rewind. It’s not a comfortable piece of theatre; suicide and depression feature heavily in the evening, and audience interaction makes the show up close, personal, and a little discomfiting. This is the opposite of a problem; this is a piece of theatre with an important message, and sometimes we need to be confronted, and our viewing experience made difficult. The personal angle is vital to this, which brings an important authenticity. Spanou is brave and vulnerable, and the audience has no choice but to connect with such immediacy. It’s exciting to see this show revived since its initial run in 2019 in the Camden People’s Theatre, and I hope it has a future going forward.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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