There’s a new show about the rich and powerful on Netflix, but this one has a Greek twist. With Jeff Goldblum as Zeus and Charlie Covell, the creator of Netflix’s 2017 hit black comedy The End of the F***ing World, at the helm, it’s worthy of your attention. In the eight-part series Kaos, Zeus starts to fear the end of the world after noticing a wrinkle on his forehead and in turn wreaks havoc over Mount Olympus. It then falls to three mortals to save the day.
But saving the world from omnipotent Greek Gods is not an easy undertaking, just ask Aurora Perrineau who plays Riddy (short for Eurydice, as in Orpheus and Eurydice). ‘Riddy is pretty dissatisfied with her life and wants to make a change and then one kind of gets made for her. She gets thrown into this world of finding out what the Gods stand for, and the bad that they’re doing, and she has to figure out what she can do about it.’
For those not well-versed in Greek mythology, don’t panic. It’s not a prerequisite to watching or enjoying the show. ‘It’s one of those shows where you don’t have to know anything about the mythology to get into it,’ Aurora reassures. ‘I didn’t know anything in the beginning, but I learned as we went on.’ Then again, if you know your Aphrodites from your Athenas, then there are plenty of ‘Easter eggs’ in the series too. ‘The way Charlie [Covell] retells Greek mythology and puts their own spin on things is incredible. It’s fun if you’re into it as well.’
Of course, the earliest Greek myths are 2,700 years old, what is it about these stories that makes them ripe enough for the Netflix treatment? ‘They always teach a lesson, especially the love stories, those are things we’ve kind of held onto as a society,’ the actor explains. ‘As we continue on, they probably won’t go anywhere, especially if we keep doing modern takes on them.’
‘I think the show is really funny,' she continues. 'The humour is dark. It’s very similar to Charlie’s last show The End Of The F***ing World. There’s a bit of everything, there’s darkness and moments of levity and a lot of tragedy too. People can put their own spin on how they feel about it.’
In many ways, Kaos is an allegory about the distribution of power and the damage that can be caused when that power is in the wrong hands. ‘It makes you question certain things about how power is distributed – are you for it, or against it? The show kind of leaves it up to the viewer to decide what they think. Even with the casting, because watching Jeff Goldblum do anything you just love him. And Janet McTeer [who plays Zeus’ wife, Hera].’
It's not, Aurora promises, just another ‘eat the rich satire’ – a genre that has dominated film and TV for several years now with shows like Succession and The White Lotus and films like Saltburn, Parasite and Knives Out. ‘This becomes less about eating the rich, and more a question of humanity as a whole. I think that’s what makes it different – there’s more to be said than just about the rich and powerful.’
Aurora’s character, however, is not part of the elite. She is the despondent partner of a famous musician and, prior to the chance encounter that changes the course of her trajectory, is a largely passive character who has no idea of her cosmic significance. ‘I liked her as soon as a I read the scripts because I felt like it was a younger version of myself. Someone who is maybe a little bit more meek and is finding their voice. I think she does that so beautifully in the show – the way that Charlie has written her. I think you get to grow with her.’
With such an impressive team behind the series – and a cast that also includes Billie Piper as Cassandra, Leila Farzad as Ari and Killian Scott as Orpheus – it’s unsurprising that Aurora jumped at the chance to be involved. Nor does it hurt that they spent seven months shooting in different cities in Spain. ‘It’s been almost two years since we started shooting,’ she tells me. ‘I’ve been very excited for it to come out. I’m just waiting with bated breath to see what happens and whether it will resonate with people.'
KAOS is streaming now on Netflix.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, covering TV, celebrity interviews, news and features.