I went knowing little about this production and it took a few moments to get my bearings. Set on a simple stage with only a few scarfs and staves as props, the story is of the aftermath of a great battle in which a son has, amongst the millions of other casualties, killed his brother.
The play is used as a vehicle for some eternal truths which could be seen as profound or platitudinous depending on one's attitude. Unlike many productions at the Young Vic, the text was not available which is a pity as it would have been good to be able to look back at the words that had sounded impactful at the time.
The whole event was a little over an hour which felt sufficient, having cast on me something of a trance with its almost poetic delivery accompanied by a single drum.
Certainly worth seeing but I'm not sure that the key messages of the inevitability of 'destiny' and war were quite truths that I would carry away. On the other hand, the notion that we live as if we were immortal despite knowing that death is inevitable is an interesting summary of the human condition - but how otherwise could we approach existence positively? And is it even true for everyone? Surely not.
Generally, the play got good reviews - e.g., from the Guardian and Financial Times.
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