Orpheus… Culture can be found in Canggu
So, this Scottish lass wanders into the Deus Temple… No this isn’t one of those jokes. This actually happened. It was back in September 2018, Marnie popped in and asked if she could chat with someone about doing a show here. She asked if we’d be interested in a bit of theatre.
Being the drama magnets, we are, we continued to listen. It was a show she’d seen in Edinburgh. A show that had been wowing fringe festivals around the world. We couldn’t see much to lose, and it offered all the boxes we like to tick. New, different and it was also attached to a large ladle load of culture. So, we said, “yeah, why not!”
ORPHEUS was a bloke who apparently lived back in sixth century BC, so it’s an old story but this was a version that had been given a stiff kick in the relevance by the staccato banter of Alexander G Flanagan Wright that is then wrapped around the nice notes and lyrical larceny of Phil Grainger and his magestic voice and gorgeous acoustic guitar.
Picture yourself in the Deus Temple backyard, hopefully, to set the scene, stick with me the premise is simple.
Apparently, Dave, (not his real name, hint hint) is a single man, a state he’s in more often than not but today, he’s turning 30. He’s stood at the bar, a position we thought through the telling, that he is in a lot. Eurydice is a tree nymph, or so we are told. We saw her as a girl he met at the local and for whom, Dave fell for. Fell heavily for. Why wouldn't he? For since he was a lad Dave has seen the world in greyscale and the moment he saw her at that fateful Karoke bar, she was all yellow and blue. That just leaves Bruce Springsteen well, not sure exactly where he is but we’re told his music is on the jukebox.
It was once said by a poet by the name of Simonides of Ceos that Orpheus' music and singing could charm the birds, fish and wild beasts, coax the trees and rocks into dance, and divert the course of rivers. But back then, well Simonides hadn’t heard the Boss play and sing. Especially when played by Phil on his guitar. We took that to mean Bruce’s music is shoehorned in to take over from the legend who was Orpheus. Bruce is a legend, so with Orpheus, he's holding good company
Orpheus, Oops, I mean Dave, was one of a handful of people, a list that actually only includes him and a few Greek heroes, to visit the Underworld and return. Not bad for an English lad. The story unfolds under the wordplay of Alex. These two Englishmen paint the scene of lost love and tragedy in the finest of Greek traditions.
The night was a resounding success, the full yard of rapt attendees watched, sung along, laughed and almost cried, a few surely did… we didn't of course. We watched and listened as the story of Dave and his love Eurydice unfolded as it was told and sung to us. My retelling here misses out on a trillion nuances that the lads introduced. A fresh take on an old tale and well worthy of a night well spent. Should you see it posted nearby, be sure to give it a look.
Later people came up to us saying how refreshing it was to see some culture and performance here in the social media skewed area of Canggu. We want to thank that Scottish lass for coming in off the street nearly 6 months before and kicking us in the performance pants.
Thanks to Marnie and her team. Check them out here.
Orpheus on tour here.
The Flanagan Collective
Gobbledigook Theatre
