Zinnie Harris's minimalist drama Supposing: transforms a modern secular woman into a Hellenic heroine as she sees visions of the future. The play is staged at the Traverse theatre, Edinburgh, until 30 August.
A simple staging
Designer Alisa Kalyanova outlines a white-edged circle on the floor of an otherwise empty space. It could be the hole on the high street that Sally trips into for want of a protective bollard, or the kitchen where she tells her husband, Richard, about her strange concern. “I think I’ve been cursed,” she says, imagining him react in a hundred different ways – incredulous, mocking, shocked – none of them good.
The circle defines the relationship between actors Nicole Cooper and Richard Conlon, both excellent as they revolve around each other, desiring to get close but so often repelled. Is this modern woman, who believes in concrete facts, suffering a mental collapse, or can she really see the future?
A Greek chorus in her head
With a 17-strong Greek chorus nagging her like a guilty conscience, she reads about satyrs and tragedies, portents and sacrifices. She even tries libation with water, salt and wine. Like Medea, Clytemnestra and Penelope, she is getting intense – a comically imperfect fit for an ordinary wife and mother, yet something in our troubled times calls for the full-blooded response only the Greeks can provide.
Sally’s references to pregnancies and miscarriages suggest an uncertain future. She sees visions of a racist neighbour and an unknown refugee targeted by rightwing protesters. In such exasperating times, perhaps only ancient rage will suffice, or perhaps there is still a possibility of healing the fractures.
