For centuries, women have been at the centre of epic stories that became part of some of the greatest literature of all time. Ovid’s Heroides took some of the most fascinating Greek Myths and brought them to life, but do we really know the full story of the women involved? Mythic Bodies is inspired by Ovid’s poetry, and through this fascinating work-in-progress piece, the women in each story finally get their say as to what really happened, how they felt and more.
Six monologues emerged which celebrated, through an intricately woven fusion of theatre, poetry and physical expression, the lives of each woman involved whilst creating a sense of togetherness despite being alone (which seems to be a common theme in theatre right now). What made this interesting was not only the unique individual approaches used to create these interesting and insightful monologues, but the fact that the whole piece was brought together within ten days! This goes to show that if you have something that each respective company is passionate about despite life getting in the way, magic can be created and a force can be launched on the world.
There were some small tweaks that needed to be looked at going forward, including slowing down in places to make sure the emotion was delivered well and the words could be heard, as well as making sure that even in physical choral support, each gesture made did not distract from the person speaking. I think in the longer term that these can be easily worked on to make this already interesting piece that little sharper to make it seamless.
Each monologue was intricately devised to deliver the drama and some unexpected comic moments within a modern context. There is always a risk that by adapting Greek Myths to a modern concept, you lose the impact the original text has We needn’t have worried, as each performer had clearly, from the words used, carried out the necessary research to make each character stand out.
Sam Bampoe-Parry’s Sappho explored the idea that sexuality can be like Ovid’s fragmented segments. Random, vulnerable and almost on the brink of any emotion that is heightened as part of love’s journey. They had entered this show five days ago, which we were pleasantly surprised at, as it seemed as if they had been part of the journey from the beginning. Bampoe-Parry was completely dedicated to making sure that despite the fragments of thought on offer, love felt like a giant puzzle and embraced the challenge of making Sappho extremely relevant to today by enabling the character to try and make sense of the world.
This was swiftly followed by Liz Kent’s Hypermnestra, who is supposed to have the happiest day of her life. Her wedding day. But all these thoughts of releasing herself from duty and life seemed to block her train of thought and we saw a spiral into many ways to kill her spouse emerge. Kent captured the idea well of doubt and entrapment of the mind with each fragment of her nerves unravelling before our eyes. She also was not afraid to explore happier times to balance out her mental health journey and managed to give us an extremely relatable character in the process.
Natalie Haven’s Phyllis took the idea of Pandora’s Box and unleashed an interesting perspective from the wife’s side of things as she slowly but surely, discovered her own ‘Pandora’ complex. What is one fear to one, could be completely different to others. How we use that fear is down to the creator of each box. Haven really utilised the idea of power and creativity to the extent of almost becoming poisonous from within. I won’t say too much more, but this is one to watch to see what happens.
Sarah Knoepfli’s Hermione delved into the idea of living in Helen of Troy’s shadow as her daughter, using the idea of a modern pop artist connecting with her audience. This was for me a well-developed piece that took a lot of twists and turns as the emotional journey into a confession that broke the internet became one that launched a ship of new fans onto her path (or haters). This was done sensitively and embraced the idea of a modern star with relish, making it appealing to watch.
Isabelle Dickey’s Canace, in contrast, explored the idea of wanting that happy ending, even when death is around the corner. Dickey seemed to throw herself into a mindset that was beautiful, yet delusional in a subtle way that fused the fine line between reality and fantasy and solidified an eternal romantic who was so near and yet so far. It made us want her to succeed. Will she get that happy ending? Watch it and find out!
Finally, Taylor Carmen’s Ariadne finished the piece by looking at an extremely underrated character, who was not afraid to confront her brother, the Minotaur, in a way that interestingly deepened their relationship to the extent that somehow, despite them being different, they were the same beastly nature. Carmen’s raw, authentic approach made Ariadne come to life in such a way that was dynamically engaging to experience, and we really wanted the story to go further.
These classic tales in Mythic Bodies have officially been launched in a way that is exciting, engaging and in many ways satisfying to watch. It has potential to become one of the shows to watch as it is developed further, and I would recommend keeping an eye out for further shows as they are announced.
Review by Sascha Cooper
These are the women who gave the heroes their glory. It’s time for them to step out from their shadows.
Mythic Bodies is an anthology that blends theatre, music, and poetry in a bold exploration around agency, womanhood, and morality as it relates to gender roles. Inspired by the poetry from Ovid’s Heroides, this one-night-only performance will feature a diverse ensemble of international artists performing their own original monologues.
Written and Performed by
Sam Bampoe-Parry – Sappho
Liz Kent – Hypermnestra
Natalie Haven – Phyllis
Sarah Knoepfli – Hermione
Isabelle Dickey – Canace
Taylor Carmen – Ariadne
Directed by Kay Brattan, Alexandra Sophia Ashe, & Sasha Tzu-Yin Hsu
Produced by Roman Cowboy Productions
With live music by Su Yeon Kim
MYTHIC BODIES
Avalon Café, Juno Way, London SE14 5RW
23 July 2026
