Ruination by Lost Dog

Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
December 6, 2024

Through the shadows of the Linbury Theatre, Hades of the underworld rightly makes a point: why choose a show called Ruination at Christmas? In the words of award-winning dance/theatre company Lost Dog, there is no better time for a Greek tragedy.

Co-produced by The Royal Opera House, Ruination reworks the extreme tale of Medea, wife of mythical hero Jason, in such a way that her heinous acts are not so far removed from universal experience. Movement is a powerful access point to her complicated narrative.  

Set in an underworld resemblant of a job centre with its form filling station and water fountain of forgetfulness, Hades (Jean Daniel Brussé) and Persephone (Anna-Kay Gayle) welcome newcomers, that is, recently dead people, with bursts of confetti and sarcastic quips.

Hades mocks the audience for forgoing Cinderella, which plays on three, bulky, downstage TVs, as well as in the Royal Opera House’s main auditorium. This opening immediately destroys the fourth wall and is later reinforced when we are made the jury to Medea and Jason’s (underworld) court case.

Theatre, dance, and literature being director Ben Dukes specialities, Ruination blends all three with ease. Flashbacks add dimension, and are often repeated when time has caught up, meaning we witness the same choreography with shifted context. A repeated trio between Medea and her two sons acquires sinister weight when we learn of what came before. This device not only offers a plurality of perspectives on Medea’s controversial tale, but it also leaves much of the show compellingly ambiguous.

Ruination is a highly intelligent production that requires no former understanding of the themes to become rapidly invested as a viewer. A suitably confuddled newcomer to the underworld, musician Ysani Perinpanayagam, is offered the chance to express her life’s regrets musically. Once on the piano, she remains the accompaniment throughout, alongside Keith Pun’s exquisite, operatic soprano. Such sophisticated transitions render every decision on stage purposeful, a delight to follow.

Beyond its generous offering of dance, sound and humour, Ruination feels much defined by its extremely lovable cast, whose comedic timing is second only to physical virtuosity. Jason (Liam Francis) awakens in the underworld in a flailing, reckless solo, repeatedly crashing to the ground with his limbs in awkward tangles. He is strong, and yet convinces us of his character’s floundering struggle. Hannah Shepherd as Medea is understated but formidable. Just as her story is uncertain and disputed, the way we relate to and feel towards Medea throughout the show is not static.

Characterised by high risk, fluid contact work, Lost Dog’s movement language is less distinctive than it is malleable; it bends to embody characters and narratives with fullness and physical authenticity. Be it a romantic duet, a trio of hide and seek, or a group lift sequence that see Medea plunged into a depressive state, it is Lost Dog’s ability to carry stories, and show how they live in our bodies, that elevates Ruination. A masked Charleston takes us by surprise, as does an epic stop-motion scene of Jason slaying a beast. The scene depicting Medea falling for Jason is near perfection; fragile, goofy, earnest, and not overly indulgent in any of these qualities so to accurately reflect the conflicted emotion that is love.

Without its humour, particularly the kind that reminds us it is 2024, Ruination would indeed be questionable festive outing. Comedy and play are what render this haunting Greek tragedy so instantly accessible. It is often argued that a performance cannot be commercially appealing while also pushing audiences into new perspectives, with new questions with which to leave the theatre. Ruination might just prove that wrong.

Ruination by Lost Dog is at the Linbury Theatre at The Royal Opera House to January 4, 2025.