Holding Achilles | Dead Puppet Society & Legs on the Wall
My inner child is a big gay romantic nerd with a bent for medievel fantasy, superheroes and circus, so the brief for Holding Achilles by Dead Puppets Society (DPS) and Legs on the Wall was ticking quite a few boxes for me. Focusing on the inherent queerness in the story of one of the greatest hero from myth? Check. Good old fashioned opposites attract love story? Check. Wire-work? Check. Centaurs, nymphs and giant bears? Check, check, check. What more could I want in one of the headline shows that premiered at this year’s BrisFest? I just had to make sure that I didn’t hype the show up too much before I’d even arrived at the theatre ….
I had nothing to be worried about though, because Holding Achilles is an ambitious, at times uneven, epic that’s fit for mainstages of the country. It will wow you, give you chills, warm your heart, then break it into pieces, because **Spoiler** war fucks everyone over in the end. And, because it’s a DPS show, you’ll be moved by puppets in a way you never thought possible.
First things first, Holding Achilles is lush. Utilising sparse, but highly effective staging to great effect that focuses on a giant movable moon, I immediately felt like was in for an highclass production when I entered the theatre. Complementing this was wire-work choreographed by Legs on the Wall, which was effectively utilised throughout most of the show. Training sequences and fights took on a slowmo, Matrix-style aesthetic and characters were swept away to great dramatic effect. The wire-work was a tad repetitive at times though, particularly in the second act, which I imagine was impacted by most of the team being relatively new to the skill. Add to all of this a gorgeous soundtrack that perfectly highlighted the ethereal tones of Montaigne. She was our muse, our greek chorus of sorts, whose other worldly tones were the perfect addition to take me into this world of Greek myth. All in all, the production design was worldclass at all levels.
Kudos also to the cast for embracing their roles with a gusto. Stephen Madsen played Achilles with a gorgeous nuance, showcasing a great range and development of his character across the two Acts. Karl Richmond brought a dry, sarcastic humour to Patroclus that effectively hinted at the character’s inner pain. Together they had a killer chemistry. They were backed up by a fine supporting cast, particularly John Batchelor, who brought a world-weary gravitas to Odysseus and Ellen Bailey, who balanced the warmth and spirit of Ajax with the power of Hector and a joyful physicality to the puppeteering of the Baby Bear.
While the production design and cast were all topnotch, the show was let down somewhat by its script.
It’s an interesting choice to adapt such a well known legend as the story of the Trojan War and particularly the roles of Achilles and Patroclus in it. There are thousands of years of stories that have looked at every angle of the war, as well as the events preceding and following it, as well as exploring the story of every character referenced in the ancient texts. It’s something that creatives come back to for good reason - it’s got a little bit of everything; heroes, gods, romance, betrayal, oaths, loyalty, destiny, fantastical creatures, one of the greatest warrior of myth, deep love, commentary on classes and slavery and a giant freaking wooden horse. And, for all the queers out there, we can’t help but read more into stories about the fierce loyalty between two ‘close’ friends who would die for each other.
How can you honour such a tale and highlight its relevance to modern audiences, while also saying something new that hasn’t been done before? While not a new angle by any means, Holding Achilles focuses on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus as the frame for the story, leaning into the themes of fate and destiny, oath and duty, and whether it is better to live a long life of anonymity or a short life of legend? Act 1 of the story takes us from when they first meet, begin to train together, fall in love and ultimately ship off to join the Trojan War, while Act 2 focuses on the broader war and their role within it. And if that sounds like a lot to get through in one play, it is.
The first Act is a completely joyful piece of theatre. It’s a light, queer, medieval fantasy rom-com that focuses on the growing attraction between two very different men; Achilles the budding warrior, fated to an epic life, and Patroclus, shy and geeky, fleeing a family that has rejected him. The snide colloquial quips and teasing between the two left the audience chuckling throughout. They ponder on legacy and fate, their dreams and ambitions and the traumas their parents have left them with in a deliciously quotable script. Together they begin to heal and become better people. And the way the tension between the two was established and then built was a masterclass. From the moment they first met and instantly hated each other, to a building of respect and trust, to the furtive, lingering glances, until that final kiss, the punters were with them every step of the way. I have never heard an audience explode with cheers and applause like they did when the pair finally kissed near the end of the first Act. I’m sure that there were a number of people in the audience that also found it just a wee bit life affirming.
Add to this moving puppetry, my favourite representation of a centaur, and training sequences filled with wire-work, all backed by electronic synth music and the goose-bump inducing tones of Montaigne, meant that the first Act was a true romp.
In Act 2, the tone shifts abruptly as the story takes us to the battlefield many years later. While still together, the war has weighed down the lovers, burdened by oaths, fate, responsibility, secrets and the devastation they had personally wrought on the opposing forces. All the romantic tension, quips and fantastical elements that made the first Act great were gone, replaced by the tension of battle and plots for revenge. I guess that’s in some ways the point of war, but I wish it wasn’t to the detriment of Achilles and Patroclus’s story. This was pushed to the side somewhat to take the audience through an exposition heavy, CliffNotes version of the war itself until its tragic end.
This change in tone between the two Acts ultimately leaves Holding Achilles feeling like it’s telling two separate stories. The creative team has decided to do some heavy lifting to move the pieces around the board to tell the complete story of the fated lovers, and ultimately the play suffers a bit for it. For me, Act 1 incorporates the right mix of the myths and legends into the script, while keeping focus on the growing bond between Achilles and Patroclus. The legends are used as the spice that gives the love story of Holding Achilles the joie de vivre that made it resonate so strongly without taking over the narrative, which allows room for the characters to develop and for their relationship to breathe and grow in a way I haven’t seen on stage … possibly ever. Was Achilles’ mum a sea nymph? Was she touched by madness? Was Montaigne the stand-in for mum? Did it really matter? Not to me. Elements like this were treated more like Easter eggs for the history buffs that didn’t get in the way of the story of the lovers.
On the other hand, the second half of Holding Achilles felt burdened by the denseness of the legend of the war itself. Characters from the epics, such as Agamemnon, Paris, Hector, Breas, Menelaus and Peleus, come and go quickly in the final hour, often played by the same actor. This made the second half somewhat confusing with my limited knowledge of the original stories and took away from the driving force of the play itself, the story of the two lovers. A slight reworking of the second half that focused more on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus and that is more referential to the source material rather than being burdened by it, would take the play to the next level.
I labour this point, because Holding Achilles is a beautiful and moving love story that has the potential to be a truly great piece of theatre. In it, DPS and Legs on the Wall have created a world led by two beautifully flawed heroes that has enchanted the audience in a way that is rarely seen. I hope they get to further develop the show and have another run in the near future. If they do, I’ll definitely be back for another round.
