#group scene

picnic time! 🧺🥪🌻

Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse Strolling in Front of the Château de Vincennes in 1669

Artist: Adam Frans Van der Maulen (Flemish 1632-1690)

Date: 1669

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Palace de Versailles, Paris, France

Depicted People:

Louis XIV, King of France

Day 4: Game Night!

Promise and the party playing hide-and-seek! Ezra isn’t nice about it….

Day 14: Fav group scene

Because we've had singular scenes, duets, and now groups, I am personally taking 'group' to mean 3 or more. Unfortunately for me, this also opens up a much larger pool of scenes to choose from. Not only do you have the finales, the Klub blinding, the wedding sacrifice and storm dance, and the invasion, but you have all the 3 or 4 character scenes that, to some, may not be fully considered a 'group'. For example, the Shell Bedroom scene would technically be a group scene with Hecuba, Polymestor, and Luba. Pretty much everything in Peep counts as a group if you count The Furies, and I always do.

But I'm still going for the blinding. And I'm going to be incredibly specific instance of the blinding here (because who doesn't love specificity?) This was the blinding that took place on the 30th March 2023.

I'd been following Hecuba, played by Kat McGarr. She was, as always, utterly wonderful. At the urging of a friend (@my-burnt-city) I made sure to stand near the window so that I could watch Polyxena and Luba come around the sides of the desk and lift Hecuba down, the three of them storming to the window.

We entered the Klub, and I moved to the far side to the office, the window opposite me. I watched as those who had been summoned entered the ritual one by one. I saw Hecuba stalking behind the crowd, her gaze fixed on Polymestor (Played by Louis J Rhone this show) as he revelled without a care in the world; without a care for her murdered son.

Those summoned moved further into the centre. They began to celebrate, to goad Polymestor into believing they were merely here for enjoyment. The music changed. The ritual began in earnest.

I thought I was imagining it at first. A reflection of an audience member's bejewelled hair clip, a sparkly shirt catching the light in the window.

Apollo appeared, ghost-like through the window. He was wearing the crystal mask, the mask that brings death and destruction to any who put it on. He spread his arms, almost bowing to Hecuba as he recognised her summons. He had ignored her prayers to save her city, but he would not ignore her prayers for her vengeance.

Polymestor moved through the crowd, dancing into the circle. On the other side of the veil, Apollo danced with him. From the other side of Divinity, Apollo controlled this would-be King Pin who offered his prayers to false Gods. Moloch had no power here anymore as Apollo danced and moved the drugged Polymestor to his whim, whirling and writhing him into confusion.

Polymestor was caught by Kampe and kissed deeply. The rest of the summoned dragged him back down to the floor.

Apollo retreated, melting into the background, into the reflections as those bound to Hecuba's vengeance began to extract it. He had no need to be here anymore. He had done as the Queen wished.

He surveyed his good work from the chair behind Polymestor's desk; feet up, lounging. The golden prince of Gods. He removed the mask as Hecuba removed Polymestor's eyes. He left the mask on the desk and disappeared from the office.

I've always loved the blinding. This was the first ever show where I had seen Apollo attend - which became a regular fixture for Loop 1 blinding from this point on. It was something that was not spoiled for me. I did not know it was going to happen, or indeed that any changes had been made at all. It was pure luck that I stood in the spot I did, that I noticed Apollo in the window.

The moves changed over time after this addition. Different Apollos played it in different ways. I also had a show maybe 2 or 3 from the end of the run where I was stood side on to the window, and as Apollo and Polymestor danced, (Polymestor now thinking he sees something in the office,) the reflection from where I was positioned made it so that Polymestor was wearing the mask, fixing his own demise in his craving for power and wealth.