Conceived and created by Joel Samuels and Roann Hassani McCloskey, Remythed retells our ancient mythology through a queer perspective, setting out to reclaim and celebrate queer presence by reimagining historical and mythological narratives. From One Thousand and One Nights to other mythological and historical tales, the production brings to light the queerness embedded within these stories.
Remythed is a textbook example of the combination of theatre conventions and contemporary themes, perfectly adopting the traditional English theatre’s bare stage and virtuoso storytelling. Performed by a dynamic ensemble of five actors playing multiple roles—including iconic figures like Sheherazade, Lilith and Adam, and Lady Godiva—the show also wittily interweaves more contemporary, personal stories.
It is quite intense to cover so many stories within 60 minutes, but the concept of One Thousand and One Nights works well. With very natural audience engagement from the moment you enter the space and throughout the performance, Remythed feels more like a process of making than something already pre-cooked.
While not all the stories feel thematically intertwined beyond their shared celebration of queerness, the exceptional cast, whose fluid queerness shines throughout, makes up for it. To some extent, it may be the queerest show I’ve ever seen—and perhaps also the first time I’ve found blind casting truly convincing and irreplaceable, beyond the point of fair opportunity. The show doesn’t just tell queer stories; it embodies queerness through its casting choices.
Emile Clarke brilliantly portrays both a toxically masculine Adam from the Bible and a confident, self-exploring Black gay man seeking his inner masculinity. Ishmael Kirby is literally divine as King Shahryar and Anansi, an icon of Black male homosexuality. Lucy Roslyn triumphs as both Lilith (later not-man, not-woman Lily), who realises they’re not made to marry Adam, and the non-binary, shy dressmaker Tommy—rumoured in the town as a “spinster”—who harbours a crush on Lady Godiva. The two creators, McCloskey and Samuels, feel more like the audience’s friends, guiding and inviting us into this magical queer world. Though it might be a bit didactic at times, they are no doubt Sheherazade in our own times.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
