Achilles, Death of the Gods is a one-person show about the legendary Achilles, hero of the Trojan War and main character of Homer’s Iliad. The show promises to breathe new, poetic life into this ancient war hero.
The focus of the story is mostly on the horrors of war, a subject that, sadly, is still as relevant today as it has always been. The narrative is rhythmic and well-planned, with every word weighed for its worth.
This is a very strong script, with some incredibly powerful and graphic lines. As a short story or prose, we can only imagine how powerful this would be. Even as an audio drama, with the right sort of production, it could be incredibly evocative. This is a story of blood, violence, vengeance and loss after all. Unfortunately, as a one-person performance in a rather intimate Edinburgh Fringe theatre venue, a lot of the power behind the writing is lost.
Jo Kelen’s storytelling and story are excellent, but it’s one of those performances that you will either engage with immediately or bounce straight off. If you can’t suspend your disbelief for long enough, you simply won’t enjoy the show. It is so reliant on the audience buying into the physicality of the performer that you will either be inspired or bored.
Achilles, Death of the Gods straddles the line between poetry and performance in a fascinating way.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about the artist here.
