Park Theatre, London – until 15 June 2024
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
3***
Writer and director Ofra Daniel’s takes the biblical Song of Songs and reimagines the themes of the power of love and sensuality in this energetic show.
Beginning with a narration that sets the story in Jerusalem during biblical times, the show morphs into a world that is timeless and placeless with its fusion of middle eastern, klezmer and flamenco influences. Driven out of Jerusalem because of her disturbing behaviour many years ago, Tirzah is regarded as a mad sage of love and romance in her new home. People come to her for advice, which she proffers in mystical/nonsensical snippets of poetry. Asked to tell her tale of how she came to this place, Tirzah goes back to her youth and her marriage to the local fishmonger, a widow, decades older than her with children for her to care for.
The awkwardness between the couple at their wedding is displayed sweetly, and Matthew Woodyatt is the grounding force in the production as his quiet and cuckolded husband watches on mutely and sadly as the bride he can’t connect with becomes more distant. Their inability to have more children is a huge issue for Tirzah, but on her 30th birthday she receives a bouquet of jasmine and a letter of love poetry. Her imaginings of this mysterious lover become an obsession, and she risks losing everything as her stolen moments with him take precedence over everything in her life. As she becomes closer to her lover and discovers, then revels in, her newfound sensuality her apathy towards her husband grows and the womenfolk of Jerusalem take notice. While the ancient Song of Songs explores lovers in harmony, in Daniel’s show Tirzah isolates herself in her lovestruck bubble and her behaviour becomes discordant with the people of Jerusalem.
Marina Paz’s set gives the incredible musicians (Daniel Gouly (music captain and clarinets), Ashley Blasse (upright bass), Amy Price (violin), Ant Romero (percussion) and Ramón Ruiz (flamenco guitar)) every opportunity to take the spotlight, with a platform for them to move to and join in the dancing. The show has a gig musical feel, and it is the music and dancing that provide the energy and interest. Ofra Daniel, Lior Ben-Hur, Ali Paris and Yuvai Ron have collaborated to create a score with a vibrant mix of influences that moves from upbeat and infectious to sensuality and plaintive laments. Billy Mitchell’s enjoyable choreography – swinging skirts and shawls playing a huge part – is just varied enough to keep the momentum from flagging. Like the original, a chorus of women provide helpful/malicious advice and judgement, and Laurel Dougall, Rebecca Giacopazzi, Shira Kravitz, Ashleigh Schuman bring wonderful energy and comedy to their dance numbers. Joaquin Pedro Valdes is great fun as an elderly aunt, and then switches from comedy to mysterious passion as Tirzah’s imagined lover. He also gets to sing the best song in the production – Dance For Me – and display his fantastic vocal talents.
Ofra Daniel is a force of nature in her performance. Her movement as the older, insane, Tirzah eternally waiting for her lover are weird and wonderful, and her portrayal of the girl’s sexual self-discovery is physically astonishing. The dynamism and excitement of the dancing is sadly not as consistent in the book, with the laudable and understandable attempt to use poetic language making some sections of narrative drag a little after such memorable music. The big reveal at the end is not much of a surprise thanks to Matthew Woodyatt’s stellar and moving portrayal of Tirzah’s underwritten husband, but the excitement and vibrancy of the production is undeniable.