Edinburgh Fringe 2021: ITHACA
.jpg)
Written, Produced, Directed, Performed, Filmed, Edited
by Phoebe Angeni
Music (Adapted by Phoebe Angeni)
Alexander Nakarada, Serpent Sound Studios
Fantasy and reality merge in this autobiographical one-woman adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey.
Dynamic, dramatic, and darkly comedic, Ithaca explores the journey of Nobody, a feminine aspect of Odysseus, who was born in the Cyclops’ cave.
Nobody’s journey is about finding home while creating space and a voice for herself within a world and body, which seem to forcefully reject her.
'Angeni makes her heroic journey in style, and with a humour and poetry - both verbal and visual - as moving and courageous as it is impressive.'
**** Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
'Intimate yet epic, Angeni's riveting performance plumbs societal demons and scales personal triumphs, seamlessly blending reality and fantasy, ancient and contemporary.'
***** - Fringebiscuit
'It's not just a technical achievement... it's a bit of a tour de force... Angeni takes trauma and transforms it.'
- Lyn Gardner, Stagedoor
'A deeply experimental piece... small screen drama on a large scale... one of the strongest digital fringe shows this year.'
***** Louise Penn, LouReviews
'Eccentric - Irreverent - Ingenious
a play full of hope, nuance, and technical skill.'
**** - EdFringeReview
'Interesting social commentary permeates an otherwise mystical narrative... the sound effects and music are quite brilliant... a highly experimental piece of theatre.'
**** - Chris Omaweng, London Theatre 1
'In the very strong hold of the gods she was played about as a rag doll... forthcoming as a goddess herself... astounding depth of insight and pure talent'
- Daniel Donnelly, Mumble Theatre
Ithaca premiered at Edinburgh Fringe 2021 as a stage-for-screen production, merging traditional black box theatre with experimental film.
The show features physical theatre, devised movement, poetry, and special effects.
10% of ticket sales from the Edinburgh Fringe 2021 were donated between Women's Aid (UK) and The Loveland Foundation (USA)
to support their phenomenal work.
Special Thanks to Deena Soulon for Lighting Assistance and to Sang Huynh for Tech Support
ADDITIONAL PRESS
Interviews / Features
Announcing ITHACA
Press Inquiries: Chloé Nelkin at Chloé Nelkin Consulting
Edinburgh Fringe 2019: Shellshock
Written and Directed by Louis Catliff, Composed by Joey Baker
A new musical satire exploring the themes of greed, fanaticism
and how many turtle puns are too many turtle puns.
Check out my favourite tune from the show:
'A wild, inventive, spoons-for-trousers crazy new show that will make you laugh
as much as it will make you scratch your head'
**** - Theatre Weekly
'Special mention must go to both Phoebe Angeni in the role of arch-villainess
Venetia Von Van Clief and Molly Williams as her right-hand woman Darryl,
as the sheer force of their voices is worth the price of entry alone'
*** - The Wee Review
'Special mention must be given to Angeni and her super-impressive vocal chops' ****- Bouquets and Brickbats
'Laugh out loud musical pastiche, but with a dark underbelly'
**** - Musical Theatre Review
'Hilarious and Involving'
**** - All Edinburgh Theatre
St Andrews On The Rocks Festival 2019: Calypso
Written, Directed, Performed by Phoebe Angeni
where the land meets the sea and the waves kiss the sky //
I believe in Strong Women
Performed at the edge of Castle Sands, Calypso is an eco-feminist exploration of liminal space. Ritualistic and otherworldly, the piece calls into question modern notions of femininity, selfhood, social and geographical displacement through fractured amalgamations of opera, devised movement, burlesque, and experimental poetry.
'Unique... Astonishing... Resplendent... One of the best pieces of art I have seen in my five years in St Andrews.'
***** - The Tribe
Edinburgh Fringe 2018: Bacchae
Written and Directed by Gabriele Uboldi
Two visions. No director. Opening night. Greece, 2400 years ago. When Pentheus, the King of Thebes, refuses to recognise Dionysus in his divinity, the god goes to the city to punish him. Or, this should be the plot, if the theatre company weren't arguing over how to stage the show on the night of the premiere.
An ensemble-based exploration of whether and how classical texts can be relevant today, featuring physical theatre elements, devised sequences, and choreographed dance.
'Funny...Politically relevant... captures its audience with both lighthearted jokes and serious intensity'
- St.Art Magazine
'Most notable is the lead, the female Dionysus... Angeni utterly inhabits the role in every facet of her being,
effortlessly intertwining mock seduction, gleefulness, and ferocity.'
- Broadway Baby