‘A Female Metamorphoses After Ovid’ (Narcissus) draws on the central idea of Ovid’s classic, that in order to arrive somewhere in life, evolution or any other time-based progression, one must encounter a number of changes or ‘Metamorphoses’ and it’s at these times when life gets interesting – musical – poetic even. Sometimes it’s the tragedy of the loss of one state counterpointed by the excitement and exhilaration of anticipating another. And sometimes it’s simply the voice in the back of the mind that screams – ‘I won’t take this anymore!’ And it’s in the volition and drive of humanity, our desire to change, that these momentous life experiences are brought fully into focus – it’s as if it’s part of the human condition to push ourselves to these limits and through these torturous processes in order to arrive somewhere that’s ‘right’.

It’s a hundred years since Benjamin Britten was born (Metamorphoses After Ovid is the soundtrack to the film) – and there have been many human, political and social metamorphoses since then. But I think that one of the biggest changes, one that has been fought for with unrelenting vigour and honour has been women’s fight for gender equality in society.

Coming from a very deprived background myself I can relate to at least some of the social prejudice and injustice that women have faced in their ‘societally enforced definitions’ – class and gender have been close suffering cousins in our skewed, hierarchical British society. So from a poor northern boy to the women of the world I say, ‘good on ya – and don’t give up the fight!’

Enjoy the film – and be sure to watch til the end ; )