Phallacy

Synopsis

Phallacy is inspired by actual events. In 1986, chemical analysis proved that a beautiful classical statue 'The Youth from Mt. Magdalene' in the Kunsthistorische, Vienna, for centuries judged to be a Roman original, was a 16th century copy. But in what way does the re-attribution diminish its beauty? Art and Science do battle in this comedy.

Our Review:

18 April 2005

The punning title gives a clue to the nature of Carl Djerassi’s latest play. Phallacy is knowingly clever, it requires your concentration, but it sometimes manages to be playful as well. Look out for references to Rilke, Klee, the battle of Lepanto and a quick mini-lecture on the treatment of Christ’s penis in Renaissance art.

Michael Taylor's rather beautiful set suggests, in the limited space available, a Viennese gallery, a lecture theatre (complete with indispensable screen for illustration), two private offices and a room in a 16th-century palace. This design provides flexibility for Andy Jordan’s fluid production in which characters move around each other, perhaps centuries apart, without causing confusion.

The play itself, inspired by a real case, is a sort of animated lecture, or rather two conflicting lectures, ostensibly based on the well-worn rivalry between the “two cultures”, art and science.

Antiquarian Regina Leitner-Opferm...

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