Review: Metamorphoses in Cape Town is stirringly beautiful epic theatre, an exquisite production

Metamorphoses’ means ‘transformations’ in Greek – meta, or “change,” and morphe, “form.”  Greek metamorphōsis is “a transforming, a transformation,” from metamorphoun “to transform, to be transfigured.” [https://www.etymonline.com/word/metamorphose].

It Mary Zimmerman’s play, Metamorphoses is an adaption from Ovid’s epic poem, a bricolage of Greek eight myths, cantilevered around change and transformation. Greek myths are fascinating and I expected this to be an excellent production but I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much. Steven Stead’s evocation of Metamorphoses is stirringly beautiful theatre. This review contains production spoilers.

The performances are superb. The cast of eight is made up of the Baxter Fire’s Burning company made up of Carlo Daniels, Awethu Hleli, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, Lyle October and Tamzin Williams, along with Brent Palmer, Cassiel Eaton-Winnik  and Matthew Vey.

The design (set, lighting and sound) is a wonder. Zimmerman has set her Metamorphoses in and around a pool and as Stead remarks in his director’s notes, this was a deliberate choice. Water evokes so much around birth, death, religious and other rituals. Water is a conduit as he notes, “from one state to another”. In this production, water manifests on stage as a swimming pool – not a plastic pool – a full on pool. The Baxter Studio theatre has undergone a drastic metamorphosis- with part of what is usually auditorium becoming part of the pool.  It reminds me of a public bathing pool, with attendants constantly mopping up water which has been spilled from the activity in the pool. Patrick Curtis’ pool is not merely a prop. It is the site of alchemy where the transformation and transfiguration takes place, with the protagonists immersing themselves in the water – walking through it, diving, sploshing, reclining, tumbling into each other. The water ignites shape shifting. It holds bodies. It is a seat. It is a boat. It is a house. It is dream. It is nightmare. It is the underworld. It is the earth and the end of the earth.

In the opening a woman says: “Bodies, I have in mind, and how they can change to assume new shapes.” The Greek myths are imbued with shape shifting – people transitioning into other states and igniting other forms through their desires and choices. This is beautifully conveyed through the King Midas story in the beginning of this play when Midas (Brent Palmer) lusts after wealth and wishes everything will that he touches, will  turn to gold. Palmer channels the sleazy club owner of his award winning play, King George as he walks into the water, in business suit like a swaggering Christ mogul figure. His interaction with his daughter (Cassiel Eaton-Winnik) is magic. Midas is irritated with his daughter who is playing and making a noise and distracting him from his conference with the gods and she freezes in the water, suspended as an immovable gold object. The play is bookended by Midas and in the final scenes, we see his daughter transitioning back into a human form and a very relieved Midas. who was totally freaked out by what had occurred.The comedy and pathos in the Midas scenes are delicious.

I loved the myth about the old couple, Philemon and Baucis, who welcome in Jupiter and Mercury to their home. The gods, disguised as humans have knocked on every door in the village and have been turned away. Philemon and Baucis invite them into their home, where they don’t have much but are willing to share what they have – their basic home of water. The gods take off their disguises, revealing their godly selves and offer the couple anything. Their wish will be fulfilled. Rather than ask for material possessions, they ask to die together at the same time.  This is theatre of inspiration – a message for all of us.

Not all the myths end neatly – or “well” but all of them carry refrains for us to listen and learn. The take home of this magnificent Metamorphoses: Be careful what you wish for; take care when making choices; love and cherish those close to you. Be kind and above all embrace change. It may be that change is complicated and not always fair and nice. Life is complicated. The best we can do is life mindfully and meaningfully and reflect always on the shape of the world and its entities. We need to surrender, submit to the universe and take our sign from the Greek myths and submerge ourselves in the alchemy of water. The power of Steven Stead’s Metamorphoses is that transcends being a cerebral and didactic compendium of Greek myths. Using a range of accents, including South Afferisms, he teases out humour and makes these myths utterly enthralling and relatable – immersive, enchanting, terrifying and hugely entertaining as we face our deepest fears and desires. Metamorphoses is an epic exquisite production.

✳ Metamorphoses – adapted by Mary Zimmerman from Ovid’s epic poem. This production, directed by Steven Stead, Baxter, Cape Town, August 30 to September 14 2024. Photo by Fiona MacPherson.