What happens when a 3,000-year-old Greek myth meets a contemporary love story, or ancient gods take to the dance floor? For UK-based theatre duo Alexander Wright and Phil Grainger, mythology is about finding new ways to connect with audiences. In Kolkata with their award-winning productions Orpheus and The Gods The Gods The Gods, the duo offer two distinct experiences: one blending spoken-word storytelling, poetry and live music, the other an immersive electronic gig where audiences become part of the performance. Ahead of their shows, they caught up with us at Urban Theatre Project to discuss reimagining myths, the power of collective experiences and discovering Kolkata.
From a karaoke bar to a 3,000-year-old myth
Written around a decade ago, Orpheus began as a production the duo had intended to perform only a handful of times. Today, it has travelled across the world, with more than 750 performances to its credit. The show revisits the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus through a contemporary lens, with Alex narrating the story in verse while Phil accompanies him on guitar and vocals. “We wrote it ten years ago and didn’t mean to do it very much. We meant to do it five times, and now we’ve done it 750 times around the world. Something about it gets under people’s skin, and after ten years, we still love telling it,” says Alex. Interestingly, audiences need no prior knowledge of Greek mythology to engage with the production. In their retelling, the protagonist becomes an ordinary man named Dave, celebrating his 30th birthday at a karaoke bar. It is this accessibility, coupled with the emotional familiarity of the story, that has helped the production resonate with audiences across different countries.
When mythology meets the dance floor
If Orpheus is an intimate storytelling experience, The Gods The Gods The Gods takes an entirely different approach. Conceived a couple of years after their first production, the show places audiences in the middle of an electronic music experience, with the performers positioned around the edges of the dance floor. “We wanted a big, loud coming together. It’s an electronic gig where the audience stands on a dance floor, and we play electric instruments and microphones on stages around the outside,” explains Phil.Rather than narrating a single Greek myth, the production explores the ancient gods, human existence and our place in the world alongside them. The larger idea, however, is to create a shared experience among strangers.“Everyone walks in as individuals who don’t know each other, and we wanted to find a way for them to create a community in an hour. We wanted people to feel the beauty and power of human connection happening in the room, without us just talking about it,” says Alex, explaining the thought behind the production. Music, he believes, is central to making that happen. “You’re singing together, dancing together and feeling the same vibrations. And it works.” The response, they say, has been encouraging, with audiences often leaving with a sense of euphoria and connection. “People walk in thinking, ‘What on earth are we doing here? Where are the chairs?’ Then they leave with their arms around everyone, singing with everyone. That happens every time,” Phil adds.
“Different religions use ceremony, singing and music to bring people together. We try to do the same with The Gods, but with no religion attached.”– Phil Grainger
A different kind of stage, on the Hooghly
For the duo, the Kolkata leg of the tour also comes with a particularly unusual setting. The Gods The Gods The Gods is being staged on a barge on the river, making it a first for the production. “There are four stories in the show. One is about a bloke standing on a bridge over a river. In our heads, it’s the Thames, but we’ve never told that story on a boat, on a river,” says Alex. While Alex had previously visited Kolkata in 2024 with his solo production Helios, this is the first time the duo have travelled to the city together. Phil, meanwhile, is experiencing Kolkata for the first time. The city seems to have made quite an impression on them. Phil describes it as surprisingly calm despite the bustle of the roads, while Alex is particularly taken by its greenery and neighbourhood character. Their introduction to Kolkata’s food and cafes has also been memorable. Having travelled to Mumbai before arriving in Kolkata, the duo will head to Bengaluru next, taking both productions to their next audience. And if their shows are anything to go by, the idea is not simply to tell stories about gods and mortals, but to leave strangers feeling a little less like strangers.“The city feels calm, friendly and chilled. I love all the trees, because it feels really green. Every Indian city is massive compared to ours in the UK, but this neighbourhood feels friendly and local,” – Alexander Wright
