Spy: Bloodied, but not beaten

Eve Gordon and Mike Edward. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

The saying "the show must go on" has never been truer for a performance crew.

Ithaca premiered last Thursday at Auckland's Q Theatre. The cirque cabaret, inspired by Homer's Odyssey and featuring epic love duets, god-like fights and a carnal hell on Earth, has had art imitating life off-stage also.

At Wednesday's dress rehearsal, aerial artist Rochelle Mangan broke her nose, resulting in last-minute call-ups for opening night.

Come Friday night, in the second-to-last act at what the show's creators, the Dust Palace's husband and wife team of Mike Edward and Eve Gordon call "media review" night, Gordon did the aerial circus equivalent of stubbing her toe, leaving no aerial performance to go with Edward's singing and dancing.

It resulted in some tough post-show critiques.

"The reviewers were harsh on my song and dance, not realising the true finale was back stage mopping up the blood on her costume," Edward told Spy.

Both injured performers were back on stage by Saturday.

"We are like trained athletes, we can have no fear. If Keven Mealamu can keep playing with a broken nose we can get back on stage the next night," Edward said.

Edward and Gordon wrote and choreographed the show together and this week told a women's magazine they were no longer living together and were redefining their relationship.

In the play, Odysseus, played by Edward, leads a rag-tag crew of soldiers home. His sole mission is to be reunited with his love, Penelope, played by Gordon.

Gordon revealed it was almost a case of life imitating art. "Our relationship is on and off at the moment. We are still not living together," he said. "But the thrill of live performances has definitely turned the spark back on."