by Luisa De la Concha Montes

Loosely adapted from the original Greek myth of Persephone, this play co-written by Ami Sayers, Abi Smith and Mollie Semple is a creative exploration of Queerness. From the start, the play is fun and engaging, opening up with a fast-paced song and a coordinated stunt that shows the three leading characters, Persephone and her two friends, getting ready for the day, brushing their teeth and riding the bus to school together.

The stage is bustling with life, with pink and purple lights, and plants and flowers draping from the table, chairs and sofa. However, contrary to the expectations this may create, the play does not have a happy plot. Quickly enough, we realise that Persephone has grown into a quiet young woman who is constantly bullied by those that were her friends during childhood.

We start learning about Persephone’s desires and fears through the smooth navigation between her dreams and reality. Her desires manifest in the shape of Hades, a non-binary character that constantly appears in her dreams, gently seducing her with cakes and sweet treats. Hades describes themselves as “not a boy or a girl, a bit of both” with a mischievous smile reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Puck. The relationship between Hades and Persephone is the biggest difference with the original Greek myth. Unlike the myth, abduction is not even part of the story. Instead, Hades is portrayed as sweet and tender, and their relationship is grounded in consent.

Moreover, the chemistry between both characters, portrayed by actors Charlotte Webb (Hades) and Mollie Semple (Persephone), is extremely mesmerising and sensual. In one scene, Persephone delivers a monologue, describing everything she wants to do to Hades, with no hesitation. The language is charged with sexual tones, mixing ideas of physical desire with poetic connotations about nature. This creates a scene that is both beautiful and electrifying.

Persephone’s fears manifest through her mother, a middle-aged woman who has lost her beauty
and with it, her perceived purpose in life. She is absent from Persephone’s life, constantly ignoring her requests for attention, and feeling jealous of Persephone’s beauty and youth. Their relationship is effectively used to explore feminist ideas of body image, the male-gaze and sexuality. For instance, in one striking scene, Persephone’s mum tells her she should enjoy the lascivious stares of strange men on the street, as they “won’t last forever” and she will “miss them when they don’t look at her anymore”. Persephone replies to her in anger, explaining how she never wants to be looked at like that ever again. The only issue with this dynamic is that the portrayal of Persephone’s mum as working class is a bit problematic. It reproduces negative stereotypes, when in reality the self-sexualisation in women is present in all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Despite this, the play effectively uses mysticism to tell a coming-of-age story in a new light. The characters, who masterfully switch between their ‘real-life’ versions and the Greek mythological versions, bring to life an explosive narrative, bustling with colours and life. The sound design creates clear-cut cues that transport us back and forth between the Underworld and Earth, building a fictional world that curiously inspects the links between identity, family bonds and gender.

Persephone ran through 21 May.

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