by Jon English and David Mackay

Synopsis

‘Paris’ is an exciting new take on an age-old love story, set in and around the ten-year Trojan War - a war which has survived the centuries and left a legacy of phrases: ‘Helen of Troy’; ‘The face that launched a thousand ships’; ‘Achilles Heel’; ‘The Wooden Horse of Troy’. There are few who would not be familiar, at the very least, with these legendary figures and expressions of myth and fable that have been passed down through the ages. There have been many stories, almost as many movies … and seemingly endless variations. To some however, the legend of Troy is probably best known as that love story ... the story of Paris, the younger son of King Priam and Hecuba of Troy, and of his part in the Trojan war, and of the manipulation of the gods and the goddesses who cast him in that role, all told here through the ageless medium of music and song.

The facts of this most famous of myths (if the term ‘fact’ can indeed be applied in any way to a myth) have been 'played with' to suit the purpose of a stage adaptation. Under that ironclad umbrella of ‘poetic license’, some of the major characters have been relegated to more minor roles, and for simplicity’s sake, the inclusion of some of the relevant gods has been left 'on the cutting room floor'. The classic love story itself has also been treated to a few twists and turns along the way, and the fact that Paris was killed on the battlefields before the fall of Troy has been ignored in favour of a more continuous interpretation.

Interspersed within the love story exists the theme of the divine balance between passion and order, law and chaos, or perhaps, between the head and the heart. Each character is flawed by his or her own imbalance between these two forces – represented by Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and war, and Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and passion. ‘Paris’ gives us the opportunity to explore the darker side of love, its obsessiveness and all consuming passion, regardless of the consequences. Its simplicity of theme merely reflects the strength of its content throughout the ages, its songs pay tribute to the mythical elements that legend tells us gave birth to this most famous of all wars. It is a ‘golden apple’ to Paris and Helen’s ‘immortal and incommensurable love’…

Ancient Greek mythology, while timelessly fascinating, is not always accessible to a modern audience, but this version of ‘Paris’, with its rock soundtrack, and epic narrative of the Trojan War is irresistible – engaging and exciting the audience throughout, and leaving heaving chests and racing hearts as it draws to its tragic conclusion. Bursting with energy from the outset, 'Paris' leads the audience through the euphoric highs and devastating lows of Homer’s Iliad, charting the intricate personal and political manoeuvres of the Greek and Trojan kingdoms, as seen through the eyes of Paris, the youngest Prince of Troy.

Characters

Songs

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