‘Plucked’ Q&A with cast and creatives

Plucked reimagines the ancient myth of Persephone and Demeter through two interconnecting monologues between mother and daughter, bringing the story into the world of contemporary life. Exploring themes from love and loss, to vulnerability and grief, it follows a daughter drawn into an unfamiliar world and a mother struggling to confront her disappearance. These two perspectives gradually reveal a powerful story about the things we hide, the bonds between us and the truths we cannot escape. Ahead of its run at the Wanstead Fringe this September, I spoke to the team behind the play about what drew them to this story, what audiences can expect from this production, the resilience of ancient myths and their lasting storytelling power in todays world…

Ancient Greek Myths are having quite a renaissance in popular culture right now. What drew you to this particular myth and what made you want to explore it now?

I have always been interested in the story of Persephone and Demeter, not only as a beautiful metaphor for the changing of the seasons but as a story to show the powerful bond between mother and daughter. The lengths a mother will go to, to keep her child safe.  I am also interested in the idea of what happens when that bond is so tight that it doesn't enable a child to explore the transition to adulthood safely; making them vulnerable.  I am particularly interested in the idea of that separation being 'forced' as a means of enabling the necessary separation to happen.  I was also curious about exploring what an 'underworld' might look like for a young woman today.

The play takes this unique, challenged relationship between mother and daughter and places it within a very modern context. What interested you about using such an ancient story to explore contemporary experiences of vulnerability, grief and loss?

I think using an ancient myth allowed me to connect on a deeper level to the ideas of grief, loss and vulnerability. The feeling that Demeter's emotions are raw and untethered allowed me to think about how an extreme emotion be expressed today and the answer I came up with was that it would most likely be supressed, leaking out in unexpected ways that people may not recognise initially as grief.  In my piece therefore, Demeter never talks about what is happening to her. She finds ways to distract herself, but as we all know, avoidance behaviour only works for so long. I was also interested in the mythical idea of Hades in his realm, how might he lure a vulnerable young woman and convince her to join him? What would inhabiting this realm look like and how might she be 'tricked'.

How did you approach portraying the more harrowing aspects of Persephone’s story while still allowing her to emerge as a fully rounded character?

We see Persephone in her every day world, a close friendship, a family friend, her potential, but also as a victim of bullying before she comes across 'Hades'.  She convinces herself that she understands the world she is entering and there is a sense that she feels that the safe, protective world she knew is childish and limiting. By the time she realises what is happening there is no turning back, she has crossed a threshold.  I have suggested some of the more harrowing moments dramatically rather than being too explicit.  It's more about Persephone's reaction to the situation and the change the audience sees in the character.

How did you explore Demeter’s despair and the different ways people respond when grief is so very overwhelming?

This for me was at the heart of the piece.  How might someone behave in these circumstances.  The Demeter in Plucked tries desperately to distract herself but becomes obsessed with a small mark on a window, which like her grief becomes magnified out of all proportion. The window as a means to see the world has in some ways become her prison.  I thought about someone constantly talking, saying nothing that people would recognise but the grief being buried underneath.  I thought too about how anger too could signify grief, exploding over something which may appear, on the surface, inconsequential.

At the heart of the play is a mother and daughter who are unable to communicate with one another. What do you think prevents them from confronting what has happened and how important are these emotional barriers to the story?

In my version of events, Persephone feels she has to lie in order to explore the 'underground' world she comes across.   I have hinted at Demeter's own inter-generational trauma which has caused her to control Persephone more tightly than if she had been parented more gently.  Demeter's control and Persephone's need to try on a new persona not linked to her mother means that they do not have a common space to share thoughts and ideas. These barriers are essential to this story.

The play is told through two monologues, giving us two different perspectives on the same events. What does this structure allow you to explore that a more traditional storytelling method might not?

Using monologues has allowed me to explore these characters inner worlds in more depth.  This piece is a work in progress, inviting feedback from audience members, so at some point it could become a play in a more traditional sense.  This format also allows direct communication with an audience but they do not talk to each other, highlighting the breakdown in communication between the two.  Use of staging however, allows an audience to see that they are intimately connected but lost to each other.

Persephone and Demeter are both characters who are trying to make sense of experiences they cannot fully articulate. What do you hope audiences recognise in their relationship?

I hope that the audience recognises the deep bond between the two characters, but also what happens when you hold something precious, too tightly.

The original Persephone myth has been interpreted in countless ways over the centuries. How did you approach balancing the mythology with the gritty realities of a contemporary setting?

I thought mostly about the central themes, Demeter's grief and Persephone's sense of loss when she is quite literally in the dark, transferring those themes to a contemporary setting.  I wanted to show the 'earth', what Persephone looked like when grounded and mark a transition to where her head has been turned.  I have introduced a character who is 'down to earth' who represents Persephone's old life and those who could be seen as fey or ethereal.  I also thought if Hades were looking to lure a young woman today, how might he go about it?  I have also used some symbolism which roots the piece in the original without hopefully being obvious.

What conversations do you hope Plucked might leave audiences having after the performance?

I hope audiences talk about the themes highlighted in the piece, love vs control, being grounded vs being lost, confidence and self esteem of young people. The role of subsidiary characters presenting as alter egos, being able to act and say things that Persephone, Demeter and Hades can't.

Finally, what do you hope audiences take away from Plucked? Do you want them to see the Persephone and Demeter myth differently, or perhaps to recognise something innately humane in these two women?

I would like them to recognise the innately human aspects of Demeter and Persephone.

What drew you to the Wanstead Fringe, and what opportunities do you think performing at a Fringe offers that more traditional theatre venues might not?

Wanstead is fairly local for me and I feel that non-traditional theatre spaces encourage non-theatre goers to come watch a piece of work that they might not have considered previously. It's also a good opportunity to try something out.