The Seven Pomegranate Seeds (Rose Theatre, 20/11/2021)

At last, at last ... three times postponed due to Covid, The Seven Pomegranate Seeds (a play by Colin Teevan) has finally seen its premiere at the Rose Theatre, Kingston Upon Thames this month.

The Rose Theatre production was very skilfully directed and designed by Melly Still and casted Niamh Cusack and Shannon Hayes. As you came to the auditorium, you could see seven Greek female names written on the scene - the names of Euripides' heroins from the ancient Greek tragedies or ancient Greek mythology (Persephone, Hypsipyle, Medea, Alcestis, Phedra, Creusa and Demeter). Seemingly unconnected at the beginning, the Greek tragedies were inextricably linked to the seven short stories that the play consisted of. Indeed, The Seven Pomegranate Seeds transposed the trauma and grief of Greek heroins into the stories of seven women of our time, who were either raped, lost their children or sacrificed their life for men. Founding in the Greek tragedies more universal dimension and depth, Colin Teevan portrayed the anxiety and desperation of women who understand what it feels like to give a life and loose it.

Melly Still is an Associate Artist at Rose Theatre and has already directed there three plays before. Her cinematographic directing style, cleverly using the lights, colours, video-projections, prompts and sound, created once again a perfect atmosphere and background. Although the stories were quite intense and dark, the use of different music genres in-between helped to lighten and digest them.

Niamh Cusack, another associate Artist at Rose Theatre, has already played the role of "Lenu" in My Brilliant Friend (premiered at Rose's in 2017). She has demonstrated once again, that she can flawlessly navigate between portraying a girl, a mother, a wife, an older women or a child and she can easily deal with any length of text. She was coupled with Shannon Hayes, who brought a energy and dynamic between them.