Pilot Theatre’s new touring production (in association with Northern Stage and York Theatre Royal) is an innovative piece created for young adults, accompanied by their usual classroom resources and workshops.

By Angie Millard

Photos by Topher McGrillis

It is a story about a group of teenagers who, while negotiating the hazards of transition to adulthood, become entangled in the ancient myth of Orpheus. The play is adapted by playwright Zoe Cooper from David Almond’s novel and is a darkly lyrical and magical tale. Ancient myths are used to represent  modern problems such as the pain of lost love, teenage relationships and coming to terms with death. Almond says, ‘ancient stories don’t happen in faraway places but here among us.’ As in Skellig, his earlier novel, he shows a keen understanding of the impotence felt by young people in a bewildering world.

On a half term hiking trip they camp on Bamburgh beach and one girl, Ella, (Grace Long) becomes Euridice for the Orpheus character with whom she falls in love. Her parents had not allowed her to go with them and she hears Orpheus’s song via her friend’s mobile phone.

The story is told by her best friend Claire (Olivia Onyehara) who is the chief narrator. The rest of the gang are played by Beth Crame, Jonathan Iceton and Amonik Melaco and together they create a world of eccentric teachers, some reproving parents and other over-liberal ones. The plot unfolds using superbly choreographed movement, choric speech and a soundscape of music, voices and images. This effective backdrop is accomplished by using the composer Emily Levy’s music, Adam P. McCready’s sound and Si Cole’s video filming.  The overall effect is mesmeric and becomes at times surreal.

The set begins as Designer Verity Quinn states, as a ‘soft, warm world of duvets and cushions’ placed on several interestingly shaped rostra. Semi-transparent drapes are used as a canvas for lighting and projection ‘to explore the texture of memory with its fragmented colours and motifs’.

Director Esther Richardson writes, ‘…there are very few plays for young people that explore how we actually process devastating loss and grief’. She has brilliantly created a multi-media interpretation of Almond’s text in a theatrical experience which was warmly received by the students in the audience. My only criticism would be that (having recently directed a 90 minute play without an interval), taking a break in this play weakened the intensity of the piece.

This is well worth a visit to open our minds to new theatricality.

A Song for Ella Grey is produced by Pilot Theatre and is running at York Theatre Royal from 20-25 February.