#polymestor

The revenge of Hecuba.

just going about his day smelling of

Only a moment before, Hecuba saw him. From a high up tenement, still clutching a rose for her boy, the child who still lived, she saw Polymestor. She saw him dump her son's body without ceremony on a length of white plastic sheeting. She saw him prostrate himself before the figure silhouetted in blue-white light of the open door, the caretaker, ready to drag away his offering.

And now, in this rented room, Hecuba has given herself up to her loss. She leans and almost falls, her body dragged in circle after circle, pain etched into her face. Pain and terror: she can see the crowd of ghosts looking on.

When she clambers up the shell shaped headboard, Luba comes to Hecuba's aid.

Luba sits Hecuba on the bed, her face shadowed in the pink neon light, and cradles her queen like a child. Luba's arm is around her, but her fingertips graze Hecuba's shoulder hesitantly, before plucking back, uncertain.

The moment breaks at the sound of approaching footsteps. Luba urgently gestures Hecuba behind the bed, her eyes pleading, her voice a hoarse whisper:

"Do you trust me?"

She gestures again, more urgently. Her eyes are wide, desperate.

"Please?"

The queen nods, and does as her old friend asks.

Poor wretched captured Hecuba,

after she saw her Polyxena dead

and found her Polydorus on the beach,

was driven mad by sorrow

and began barking like a dog . . .

When he tells her "of course", her child is safe, her lips twitch into a smile. A smirk, the tiniest comfort, for while everything has been taken from her, now she can take something back.

It won't be much, but it's all she can do, so it will be everything.

She finds her son's passport at the altar of a horned god. She sees his lavish coat draped on the chair and she laughs. This is the lifestyle that child murder buys you? Your soul is worth that little?

She takes the fur, it's hers by right.

Ελάτε, ερινύες, ελάτε.

They do come, they swarm around her. And she sees they were with her all along - watching, waiting.

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.

Hecuba stands behind the desk, her face etched with anxiety. Her son is seated the other side. He suddenly looks... young. Far too young for any of this. His new protector stands behind him, bathed in a reddish light.

In the background, music: "Strangers' arms reach out to me...."

Hecuba raises a toast, features softening in relief. Polymestor raises his glass in turn, with a smile for his queen. All, for a moment, is well.

But look...what is the toast that he mutters under his breath?

"To Moloch.."