The world premiere of Fabulous Creatures; The untold story of the female monsters of The Odyssey, a play with songs by Quentin Beroud & Emily Louizou is to play at the Arcola Theatre.
Welcome to the Monstrous Cabaret Club, a place to drown more than your sorrows, where the acts are unreal and the voices to die for! Whether you’re strapping in for the Sirens or caught between Scylla and Charybdis, you’re in for a night you’ll never forget!
Once the pre-eminent killers of the mythical age, the Sirens have long given up their licence to kill. Now they run a private club hidden somewhere between Mount Olympus and the Underworld. But the glamorous routine of their cabaret life is about to be shattered when a desperate and determined woman asks for help in taking down her abusive husband before he returns from a 10-year war. These fabulous creatures are now faced with a deadly dilemma: sacrifice the safety of the shadows or come out into the light and help a stranger in her hour of need?
Collide (“clearly a company to keep an eye on”, The Guardian) invites you to an epic new show about sisterhood and vengeance. An ensemble of three brings you the never-before-told story of the female monsters of The Odyssey, blending humour and darkness, myth and modernity and Collide’s signature dream-like aesthetic.
The cast comprises, Hannah van der Westhuysen is Charybdis aka “Whirlpool”, hostess of the grotesque. Hannah is best known for playing the lead role of ’Stella’ in Fate: The Winx Club Saga for Netflix. Most recently, they can be seen playing a recurring role in Sexy Beast (Paramount+) and hit production The Sandman (Netflix).
Kate Newman is SCYLLA, a rock star with outrageous costumes. Kate is a classically trained actor, neo-burlesque performer, writer, producer and the creator and host of Like A Virgin Cabaret. She trained at The Drama Centre and The Cheek of It School of Burlesque. Her burlesque alter ego Have Your Kate and Eat It has performed at The Barbican, Battersea Arts Centre and The Hippodrome Casino. She is currently working on Dance, then her debut short film, in which she plays the role of Iris. Her TV credits include Alder (ITV) and Smothered (Sky Comedy).
Jazz Jenkins is Siren, the woman-bird with the notorious voice. Jazz is a native New Yorker and relocated to London to train at LAMDA where she graduated in 2023. Fabulous Creatures marks her UK professional stage debut. Theatre while training includes: The House That Will Not Stand (Agnes), RENT (Joanne), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (The Singer) and The Seagull (Nina).
Creative team:
Written by Quentin Beroud & Emily Louizou
Directed by Emily Louizou
Movement & Choreography by Ioli Filippakopoulou
Music Composition & Sound Design by Irene Skylakaki
Set & Costume Design by Ismini Papaioannou
Lighting Design by David Doyle
Promo images by Mariza Kapsabeli
Executive Producer: Elizabeth Filippouli
Produced by Collide Theatre in partnership with Elizabeth Filippouli and in association with the Arcola Theatre
Composer Irene Skylakaki said: “I am thrilled to be writing music for three mythological monsters, three creatures with voices that blend darkness, sensuality, and power. We are creating a hybrid-play, something between musical theatre, cabaret, and a play with songs! Sonically inspired by PJ Harvey, Bjork and James Blake – expect a lot of quirky punchiness!”
Director Emily Louizou said: “This project is a celebration of female resilience and sisterhood. Scylla, Charybdis, Siren stand for women who were punished, ostracised and vilified for reasons that were quite absurd or short-sighted. I am excited to present these mythological monsters under a new light, seeing beyond their victimhood, beyond their monstrous appearance and their ‘evil’ label.”
Executive Producer Elizabeth Filippouli said: “As figments of the imagination, the awkward, scary female creatures that populate myths have long been used by societies to portray an otherness that goes outside the norms, and to set the boundaries of conformity within which women were expected to operate. Guess what, the monstrous in this play is synonymous with the fabulous, fascinating, fantastic!”
Fabulous Creatures is produced under the auspices of the Hellenic Embassy in the UK, supported by The Hellenic Centre and women’s empowerment initiative Athena40.
