Lost Dog have remounted their renowned Paradise Lost 10 years on from its original production, with a new cast. Obviously the script, design, and choreography are outstanding — but they were 10 years ago. The new performer Sharif Afifi, however, is exceptional. It is always challenging for a performer to step in to a role that was originated for someone else, and Afifi does this with such effortlessness that you would believe he is the originator of the role.
The play begins with “beginning of show face”, an actor reading from the script, engaging with the audience, lights up. First impression may cause you to think this is a failure of performance, failure to embody, however as Afifi progresses and the piece moves into movement and music, it becomes clear that the awkwardness of the early moments were a distinct choice. His physical performance breathes out the choreography with ease, despite the visible effort, his linen shirt soaked in sweat. The play progresses, and we learn it isn’t just about Milton and Paradise Lost, but also about a man trying to create, and about our relationships with what we create, whether those creations are universes, other humans, or a work of art. What we create becomes unruly despite our best efforts — or indeed perhaps because of them, and the hubris to think we can control things.
In the chaotic world we’re situated in now, 10 years on from its premiere, this production feels all the more timely. Good ideas turn sour, beautiful things erode and fade, and ultimately we are ineffective. This sounds terribly drab but indeed the production is hopeful. Rain washes away the effort, the failure, the disappointment, and we go again.