Ishan Vivekanantham

Hekabe (or Hecuba) is a play written by Euripides and for this version, translated by Anne Carson. Hekabe was published 424 B.C.E and written during the period of the Peloponnesian War. In this context, Euripides uses the backdrop of the Trojan war to warn about the consequences experienced after a war has ended, a message which is directed at the then ongoing Peloponnesian War. However, in broader strokes for a contemporary audience, Hekabe is an anti-war play.

The first intervention in the space was the addition of the arched windows that are placed diagonally opposite the real arched windows within the Fortyfivedownstairs venue. This addition creates a sense of vulnerability as the audience are surrounded on both sides by frosted windows. The lines of the window edges and the wooden planks create a disorientating perspective effect that elevates the sense of chaos in the text. The second intervention of the space was the ripped plaster wall and the fallen window. The window is unnaturally skewed to enhance the unnatural perspective effect and provides a raked stage for the actors, so the audience have better sightlines upstage. All the elements of the space work together to localise the destruction of the Trojan war into the space of Fortyfivedownstairs, creating a shared experience for the audience.