Tempus Fugit: Troy and Us is showing at Army @ The Fringe and is a blending of stories; that of a young couple, soldier and wife, and of Troy, particularly Andromache and Hector, and the parallels between the two stories. I am putting a trigger warning for those with PTSD in this review before you go so you are prepared for it, especially for veterans.
Tempus Fugit: Troy and Us is acted by two cast members who have amazing chemistry that seems genuine and considering that Genevieve Dunne and Noah Young are married off stage, it is no surprise that they work so well together within their respective role of Bea and Alec.
The production takes us through the highs and lows of significant love that we can all only hope to experience, and how that love can be tested during hardships and pressures that can only really occur in the army.
The relation between Bea’s life and Andromache’s is clearly presented during the production. Not only are Genevieve and Noah exceptional at conveying emotion through their expressions, but they are also exceptional at conveying emotions through their body movement, and this is abundantly clear during the segments with masks.
There is a lot of technical work that has gone into this production and the sound wonderfully complements what is happening. This production is a perfect example of how minimalism in terms of set and props will not always take away from the strength of a performance.
Genevieve’s transition between scenes and emotions is flawless, like one continuous journey. Each of the emotions expressed by both Genevieve and Noah feel natural and not synthetic. There is a section of the performance where Bea and Andromache are mirroring each other, then touching each other, and this was beautiful to watch. Noah’s physicality of movement during the slow-motion scenes were both brilliant and an effective illustration of how PTSD can impact the life of those who come home, and those who love them.
The story of Tempus Fugit: Troy and Us is very well crafted, well-acted and well composed. It touches sensitively but fully on important issues related to the life of the wife of a serving soldier. It is hard hitting, deeply moving, almost haunting, and entirely compelling. This is a must-see piece of theatre whose relevance will never fade.
