The Rape of Proserpina

We wanted to tell the story in a way that would represent the cyclical, seasonal sub-plot of the myth, but that would allow the narrative to become malleable for the performers. To do this we started by reading Ted Hughes' 'The Rape of Proserpina' together. We then encouraged Franny (who is our Persephone) to improvise whilst we directed the passage of events. We wanted to break down the linear, the inevitability of the story, and so we edited the film with stops and starts, déjà vu’s and points of indecision. These moments represent the immediate choices that both Persephone and Franny had to make during their saga. We tried to suggest in the film that the understanding of the story is different from the different perspectives of viewer, actor, camera man etc. To demonstrate this we chose to represent events in the story in a mixed up way, so that Persephone is searching for herself and she ends up where she started. In this way we tried to undermine the duality of underworld/overworld, reflection and action. Therefore the ice - that is the crystalline separation between one form and another - is smashed, time spills over, and it is from the cave that Persephone is regenerated. (Ed and Theo)