Iphigenia in Splott is one of the most notable characters in the Greek plays of old.
Iphigenia is one of the most notable characters in the Greek plays of old. Agamemnon’s daughter, her character was made famous from having been sacrificed by him to appease the Trojans during the Greek and Trojan conflict. Initially, one wouldn’t think that Iphigenia in Splott has much to do with the original story. It isn’t until its climactic conclusion that the loose reference of Iphigenia truly comes to form, though, in a massive way. This particular production was staged a few years back but the powers that be made sure to record a version of it that is now streaming online.
Actress Sophie Meville sits alone on the stage to tell Gary Owen’s story about a young woman from Splott. As ‘Effie’, Melville begins the show with a barrage of verbal projection towards the audience, about herself, and without holding back. She consistently degrades herself as a boozer, a slag, and otherwise insinuates that anyone’s first impression of her would probably be the correct one regardless of how unfavorable it may be. This is where it begins, but it is nowhere near where it ends. Effie soon divulges with the audience the incident that changed her life, and ultimately, the sacrifice that she would come to make for the greater good and appeasement of others.
Owen writes a play that whether intentioned or not, carries with it an effective misdirection. It begins as one thing but becomes another midway through. His writing shows Effie’s character as at first hard to like or even empathize with, yet as things progress her issues come into focus in a much clearer context. Rachel O’Riordan directs the piece without too much added dressing. The tech cues are few, but managed in tandem with Melville’s action on stage. The set only consists of three chairs and a set of disorganized strip lights, which isn’t a problem as most of the play is dependent upon Melville’s ability to engage with the audience. Melville attacks the script with a ferocious attitude that develops into a more vulnerable state of being as she gets to the root of her issues. She has the ‘know-how’ to execute the more comedic moments as well as how to balance the show with the more intense sections of dialogue. She also does well enough to make an hour and fifteen minutes feel like a feature length production that’s paced appropriately without feeling too fast or too slow.
This one woman show is brief but it checks all of the boxes for an entertaining evening of theatre with few flaws. Where some viewers may have minor issues is with the dialect. Melville’s accent is a thick Welsh, and additionally many of the lines include specific British slang that may not be as easy for foreigners to follow. To be fair though, she speaks clearly enough to where the essence of what’s being explained is not difficult to compute. This version of the show is available for streaming on digitaltheatre.com for a limited time.
