It's difficult to judge a piece written for the stage by reading the written word, but my impression is that Derek Walcott's adaptation of Homer's epic works very well. Much is re-imagined for example the Underworld becomes the Underground with the shades stepping on and off trains. Some of the violence is toned down, so that the serving women who have slept with the suitors are not slain by Odysseus as in the original, but are saved at the insistence of Penelope. The Odyssey has undergone many transformations, oral epic to written classic, to movie and to play. It has survived the total destruction of the culture which gave it birth and yet still it remains able to talk to us today. I found Derek Walcott's adaptation an interesting new look.
Faber and Faber, 160 pages
Comments