Drama Reviews

Aristophanes' lysistrata

Lisistrata di Aristofane, performed by Instituto A. Manzoni, Caserta

Lysistrata was magnificent, as was "Clonice" (sic). The rest of the company were not! Very little of the humour or the satire came across - the cast's friends in the audience only got the VERY obvious jokes. There was no chorus of Old Men (just young women!). The Cinesias scene was most disappointing - somehow they contrived to do it without a baby! (Although at the end of the performance it transpired that the actor playing Myrrhine actually had a real baby: we'd heard it crying earlier off stage). But if you can't get laughs from your mates with this scene, what hope is there? If one could forget that this was Aristophanes, the production was actually rather sweet and tasteful - and clearly the performers enjoyed it.

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