A teenage Telemachus sets out from Ithaca in search of the father he idolises, tracing the trail Odysseus has taken on his return from the Trojan War. Through the eyes of this impetuous schoolboy (Shaka Kalokoh), we re-encounter the familiar faces from Homer’s epic – Polyphemus, Calypso, Circe, Tiresias – each teaching him a valuable lesson, and all conjured with relish by the versatile Cash Holland. A pair of knockabout sidekicks (Cerys Marie Burton and Kimmy Edwards) complete the company of this dynamic, endearing new family musical, and with the help of some glorious costume changes, the four performers flood every scene with fun and flavour.
The central thread of this retelling – Telemachus’s gradual disillusionment with his father – is a moving addition to the tapestry of the ancient tale, and Kalokoh plays the lead with puppyish vulnerability. Perhaps too much patience is occasionally asked of the under-12s present, who are treated to various wholesome musings on the virtue of courage and the fallibility of grownups. Likewise, the songs have a habit of pausing the action, while Nina Segal’s no doubt excellent lyrics are often lost in the mix. But when stitched into the plot as an organ of storytelling, Naomi Hammerton’s music instantly comes to life, plunging us into the ocean and the underworld with fresh immediacy. This potential is magnificently fulfilled in a musical battle with a six-headed sea-monster, which had the children around me rapt in giggling terror, clambering over one another to high-five the boy hero.
Such moments of theatrical extravagance are where this miniature Odyssey really makes waves, and for these particular credit is due to Rosie Elnile’s astonishing set design, which treats its young audience with admirable respect. The initial, boxy layout is increasingly troubled by metatheatrical flourishes, suggesting something sinister beyond the homely boundaries of the stage, and beyond the parochial worldview of our young hero. When Telemachus opens the bag of winds given to him by Calypso, the stage explodes with weather, the tab curtains blown inwards by giant fans, exposing the wings beyond and briefly blowing the minds of the everyone in the stalls, adults included.
