London theater group brings home compelling `Odyssey’

If you think you’re having a hard life, consider Odysseus. This poor guy fights the Trojan War for 10 years, and spends 10 more stuck on an island and trying to get back to his wife and son. It’s safe to say that the big O-man doesn’t seem to have ordinary problems like bills and rent and who will cook dinner tonight. No, he has to fight the Cyclops, Poseidon and a whole mythology of sexy women before he triumphs.

The Aquila Theatre Company of London has triumphed, too, in retelling the story of “The Odyssey,” which it performed vigorously Tuesday at the Maine Center for the Arts. Noted for compelling revisions of the classics, Aquila (which offered Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” two nights ago) combined Broadway theatricality, operatic enormity and the Western world’s most fundamental plot (adapted from a version by Alexander Pope) for a fervent and exotic production.

It helps, of course, that Aquila actors have been trained at many of Britain’s top drama academies. The precision of their talent shows in every determined step, every powerful syllable and the seamlessness of a well-developed performance technique. These actors step into the magic of a wily world controlled by the wrath and folly of gods, and come up with authentic rather than trite fantasy. That alone is a feat of enchantment.

The technical backup for this troupe is, however, a stunning convergence of simplicity and wit. The silver scrims, masks, angular lighting and original techno music bolstered the cast solidly as characters were blown through storms, against rocks and onto islands.

Given the epic task of relaying this ancient tale to a modern audience that knows more about Must-See TV than about the journey of the human soul, Aquila proved itself a rather amazing and urgent group of entertainers.

There’s no guessing why this company has received an award for dramatic excellence from Greece. Aquila brings Odysseus home through the tumult of many centuries and lands him squarely in a recognizable land — our own.