L'Orfeo

This adaption of L'Orfeo explores the core of tragedy. Whose tragedy is it? Standing at a feminine perspective 417 years after this piece was created, we look at this story and ask: Is this a tragedy for a man who lost his wife? Or it’s actually a tragedy for a woman who has no power to control her life? Or it’s a tragedy for love used as an excuse to fulfil the ego of a classic hero’s journey. The core of this adaption is the irony of Orfeo’s hero illusion. The main structure of the set as a book emphasises how Orfeo's world is his creation, with female characters like Euridice and the Nymphs existing as projections of his fantasies rather than independent entities. In this part, every character except Orfeo has 2D cut-out costumes, acting as they are graphic figures. The concept aims to deconstruct the male-centric view of storytelling and to expose the objectification and subjugation present in Orfeo’s perception of others, especially the women in the story. Without changing the music material, scenography is used as a theatrical approach not just to address the story but also to present the female characters' situation to de-centralise Orfeo's lead position in this piece. Even though most of the events happening on stage are about Orfeo’s hero journey, the story is told from Euridice’s perspective. It’s easy to tell from the colour, Orfeo’s hero fantasy is black and white and the underworld is colourful. This is based on Euridice’s experience. In Orfeo’s storybook, Euridice is a perfect wife. She’s not a real person but an idea. It doesn’t matter who she truly is, but as long as she exists, Orfeo’s “LOVE” has somewhere to land. The underworld is considered an adults’ playground here in this adaption. It’s completely the opposite of the expectation of being a good wife. Her body is free. She can be a real woman here, she thought. However, she still feels her body is being gazed at by men. This is another patriarchal world(we know from the relationship between Pluto and Proserpine). Is this better? She doesn’t know. The Underworld concept was inspired by the Feminist Anti-pornography campaign in the 20th century. Euridice’s loss and hesitation symbolise the debate between “Free from the sexual shaming” and “Boycott of sexual exploitation”, questioning whether there is true female sexual freedom. The colourful underworld full of ball pits is not only an unusual interpretation for the audience but also adds another layer of sarcasm to Orfeo. He would never imagine when he sensationally stepped on his hero journey to save his love from the evil, dark underworld, countless colourful plastic balls are what he sees. The design concept for this production of L'Orfeo is centred around sustainability and visual storytelling. The primary set piece is a massive book. This book structure serves as a metaphor for Orfeo’s epic and functions as a dynamic stage element, transforming to represent various abstract locations, including a forest and a Greek temple, through subtle shifts in lighting and movement. The costumes in this production reflect the characters’ relationship to Orfeo’s fantasy and the patriarchal power dynamics within the narrative. To maintain sustainability, the costumes will either be crafted from cardboard or sourced second-hand, ensuring that the environmental impact is minimized without compromising the visual storytelling.