The Trojan War

We’re back in Wellington, and it’s the middle of winter, but nevertheless there’s stuff going on! We got back just in time to book (now sold out) tickets to go and see The Trojan War, as performed by fave alternative drama collective, A Slightly Isolated Dog.

But first, inevitably, dinner. Now Wellington On A Plate is in full swing at the moment, however we managed to get a table at Capitol, where we haven’t been in simply ages – largely because we’ve been in the Northern hemisphere. You know, that one. It’s also handily Bluff oyster season, so I was able to order a half dozen of these delectable beauties for my starter, whilst Nicola had the Dine Wellington dish, a crayfish soufflé. For the main I had veal saltimbocca, and it duly leapt into my mouth. Nicola had the gnocchi. The quality at Capitol remains consistent, and it’s one of the best places to go in Wellington.

Then a quick dash around the corner to BATS Theatre in the driving rain – the whole of New Zealand is in the midst of a tropical deluge at the moment, and it’s causing major problems in some parts of the country. We were just in time as the doors were opening. There’s no allocated seating at BATS, so you need to get in quick to get a good seat. We were greeted by members of the troupe as we entered – this is part of their modus operandi, as they assess victims for the audience participation parts of the show. We haven’t been to an ASID show for donkey’s years – the last one was Don Juan in 2016 – but I’ve been following their adventures on Facebook, waiting for them to return to Wellington.

Unlike most theatrical productions, they start by announcing that we can take as many pictures as we want – it’s encouraged, so here’s some:

Paris in blonde wig

 

Achilles

The Greek fleet sets sail for Troy

Grand finale

As usual, the show is an anarchic mix of acting, storytelling, audience participation, and songs. The chief characters – Helen, Paris, and Achilles – are played at various stages by all the actors, who don special headgear to indicate the character: a veil for Helen, a blonde wig for Paris, and an improvised helmet (made from a plastic bucket and a broom head) for Achilles. Also in the audience are the gods – Zeus, Aphrodite, Athena, and Eris, who all have parts to play. And Fate is a major recurring character as well. The story is told in a reasonably easy to understand way, but is interspersed with various side plots. It inevitably ends with (spoiler alert) the building of the wooden horse and the sacking of Troy.

Did I mention that they do all this in cod French accents? It’s their signature move…they’re actually playing characters, playing the characters in the play, all the time. It’s bizarre, it’s hilarious, and if it comes anywhere near you, you should go and see it!