Darkly comedic and fatally tragic, the show executes a daring blend of modern banter with traditional Greek myth. The Greek legends are all somewhat familiar to us. Big names including Zeus, Hera, Prometheus, Hades, and Dionysus feature in the show but fall spectacularly short of our expectations. What do you mean the Gods aren’t perfect?
In the opening of the show, the sarcastic and dry humour of Prometheus instantly makes him a likeable narrator of this tale. Prometheus (Stephen Dillane) sets the stage by being chained and tortured for his defiance, while orchestrating a subtle rebellion against the Gods’ control. Whilst not without his faults, the character’s fourth wall breaks allow us to make sense of the complex, zealous society that worships the Gods.
At the epicentre of Kaos is Zeus. Jeff Goldblum saunters onto the screen sporting a tracksuit and gold wristwatch ordering about servants on his amongst his lavishly outfitted estate on Mount Olympus. Goldblum’s performance brings a delightful mix of ego, charm, and absurdity, making his Zeus both intimidating and laughable. Lucy Mangan in The Guardian comments that “I can give you no better – or certainly no shorter – indication of the overall tone of the thing than to say that Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus.”
But when a prophecy from years ago again starts to come true, his character’s fear of losing control over humanity, and even his own family (the Gods) sees him descend into paranoia. Even a family with power beyond measure is dysfunctional one: a fact that Covell conceals under witty exchanges.
If you’ve been keeping up with the resurgence of Greek mythology in the 21st century then you’ll be familiar with names such as ‘Percy Jackson’, ‘Hercules’ and ‘Wonder Woman’. None of these can compare. Covell, also the mastermind behind the series ‘The End of the F**king World’ throws a bold experiment in modern myth making onto the stage.
Goldblum’s performance brings a delightful mix of ego, charm, and absurdity, making his Zeus both intimidating and laughable.
Kaos plunges us headfirst into a world in which humanity live their lives in worship, religious service and fear reminiscent of a dystopia. Monuments are built, human sacrifices made, and tongues removed in the name of the Gods. Yet a far more harrowing truth lies beneath the underworld.
As with any great tale, the love story of Eurydice, or Riddy for short, and musical icon Orpheus is runs throughout the show. That being said, it does seem too often get lost in the ambitious plot the fates have woven. Whilst the show is dynamic with a network of characters, their personal struggles and developments are often left too unexplained in favour of plot development and faster pacing.
Characters like Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) and Hera (Janet McTeer) shine as they navigate their own personal challenges- Dionysus with his existential boredom and Hera with her rage over Zeus’ infidelities. However, characters such as Riddy and Orpheus struggle to remain at the heart of the show. David Nice agrees, stating that the show has ‘“A rainbow of acting talent, but too many ideas thrown into the labyrinth”.
Despite this, visually, Kaos is a treat. The show transports viewers from the majestic Olympus to the dreary, bureaucratic underworld, creating a rich and textured world that feels both grand and grounded in modern life. So, you choose, will it be the will of the Gods that triumph or will humanity be able to tear them down and begin anew? Kaos or chaos?
