The Last Days of Troy – reviews of 'vivid' Homer play

Critics 'fascinated' by Lily Cole's full stage debut as Helen in raw new Homer adaptation

Lily Cole in The Iliad
(Image credit: Jonathan Keenan)

What you need to knowA new stage adaptation of Homer's The Iliad starring Lily Cole, has opened at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. The Last Days of Troy is adapted and updated by poet and novelist Simon Armitage and directed by Nick Bagnall.

The play is set in the final days of the Greeks' ten-year siege of Troy as they try to win back their abducted queen, Helen - "the face that launched a thousand ships". Both sides resort to extreme actions to break the deadlock, prompting dreadful reactions from both men and the gods.

British supermodel Lily Cole appears in her first full professional stage role as Helen. Runs until 7 June, then Shakespeare's Globe, London, 10-28 June.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What the critics like"Lily Cole proves perfect casting as Helen of Troy in this knife-sharp twist on Homer," says Dominic Cavendish in the Daily Telegraph. Her studied impassivity and radiant intelligence keeps you fascinated, and guessing.

"Cole's blankness is perfect for a character who trades on her power over men but also her unknowability," says Dominic Maxwell in The Times. It's an effective performance in an accessible, absorbing evening of mythic storytelling.

Armitage's "raw, vivid muscular verse" is supported by sparing use of theatrical devices, a stark set and taut direction, says Paul Vallely in The Independent. Lily Cole conjures an evocative ambiguity, and speaking few words only adds to the potency of her enigma.

What they don't likeThis is "Homer without tears", says Michael Billington in The Guardian. It's an entertaining evening and you have to admire Armitage's skill and audacity in compressing Homer's Iliad, but it lacks a fiercely personal vision.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us