"Up Styx Creek". Keble O'Reilly. Review by Anuj Mishra

In a sentence, Up Styx Creek is an elongated, Aristophanes-themed Horrible Histories episode. Importing the sketch-cum-variety show formula wholesale, the play strings together musical numbers and skits summarising all of Aristophanes’ surviving comedies and, rather neatly, conveying them in modern-ish terms.

At the centre of any good variety show is an emcee who exudes charm and comedy in equal measures, whose overarching monologue weaves together the seemingly random array of content (think Rattus Rattus). For Up Styx Creek, Aristophanes (Cameron Spruce) himself made a logical choice. In Spruce’s hands, Aristophanes is – oddly – not Greek at all, instead coming across with the aspect of an ex-Footlights comedian doing Live at the Apollo, breezily commanding the stage and berating his critics.

As the play begins, our Aristophanes takes his seat in an onstage audience to watch a mindnumbingly boring rendition of The Wasps. Beside him, Classics finalist Sophia (Macey Pattenden) loudly derides the play and its playwright, tipping Aristophanes into a fit of anger. Incensed, he drags her across the River Styx to – not the Underworld – but a magical fantasy land where Sophia will be subjected to the rest of his oeuvre.

As they make their journey up shit creek, the play presents the first of many quite hilarious, but seemingly interminable songs: an adaptation of the Frog song, from The Frogs. The song entailed the ensemble repeatedly incanting the ‘brekekekex koax koax’ (Greek for ‘ribbit ribbit’) chorus, while Sofia made bewildered faces and Aristophanes looked mighty proud of himself. All the while, ensemble members did some interpretive, froggy choreography under some aptly green lighting (by Michelle Ng), while wearing rowing unisuits.

The songs (by Jack McMinn) were a high point in the play’s construction, and a lot of thought had clearly gone into their construction and presentation. Standout numbers included the deus ex machina appearance of Kaos (Liz Freeman), whose pop item would rival most Eurovision entries; Cleon’s (Oliver Cadogan) live piano ballad about being a populist tyrant; and a girl group number led by a suffragette-presenting Lysistrata (Gigi McCauley).

The skits accompanying the songs were slightly drawn-out, and sometimes came across as scenes in a school play. Nonetheless, they were entertaining, and the actors’ commitment to the numerous ‘bits’ – physical comedy, toilet humour, innuendo, and the odd ‘your mum’ joke – made up for any shortcomings. Here, highlights included a Gogglebox treatment of The Acharnians, and a kebab van version of The Knights.

Up Styx Creek does what it says on the tin, taking the greats unseriously and treating ancient comedy as just comedy. As a non-Classicist who has sat through a fair few painfully tiresome classical adaptations, I declare this to be the most entertaining one I’ve seen yet.

Catte St. Productions’ Up Styx Creek will continue its run at the Keble O’Reilly until 22nd February. Runtime of 2 hours, including a 15 minute interval.

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