There is no other theatre in London where the audience are not only asked to turn off their mobile phones before the performance begins, but also to keep their children and pets in order, but then there is no other theatre quite like the amphitheatre called Scoop, hard on the Thames between London and Tower bridges. Throughout the summer this little open-air gem is offering free performances of Euripides' little known tragedy Children of Hercules, as well as a new version of Treasure Island.
Phil Willmott's spare production plunges you straight into the bloody heart of a play that begins in the wake of Hercules' death. Pursued by Hercules' enemy Eurystheus, the hero's widow and children wander from place to place where all their pleas for asylum are rejected until they arrive at the city of Marathon. Here, King Demophon offers them shelter - with devastating consequences.
The modern parallels are obvious, and Willmott is right not to push them too hard. His production has a timeless quality. It also takes a play that puts the drama into a series of moral questions (is it right to take in the needy if it threatens your own security? Do you take revenge on those who have done you terrible wrong?) and throws them straight back at the audience. On the night after the London bomb attacks, tussling with these questions seemed utterly natural and to the point.
On the downside, the play doesn't have the punch of better known Greek tragedies, and although the Scoop is a very nice space it is hardly Epidaurus. For maximum impact and intimacy, grab yourself a seat close to the action.
· Until August 14. Details: suzannarosenthal.com/scoop.
