Oedipus

Synopsis

The Land of Thebes is dying. In order to restore balance King Oedipus is forced to unmask a killer, but his zealous search uncovers a more terrifying secret. Sophocles' play is a mixture of classical tragedy, whodunnit and political thriller.

Our Review:

1 March 2013

Ricky Dukes' production of Oedipus showcases a version of tragedy edited for these modern times - times of self-diagnosis and shaven-headed heroes - with all the apathy and unearned didacticism of a lookbook (inspiration: Ralph Fiennes in Coriolanus).

The production must have lifted its vocal gestures from sentimental film versions of Shakespeare - articulated speeches celebrate the emotion of Oedipus' famous downward skid. The production is weighed down by a relayed sense of what tragedy ought to sound like, from the canned angelus, to (Robin Holden's) Oedipus' braggartly delivery, to the chorus’ platitudinous couplets about memory.

Max Dorey's design beautifully emphasises the themes of the play - smoke machines belch throughout, so that the theatre is a peasouper in which faces and bodies are indistinguishable, forcing the audience into Tyresian blindness, and creating striking contrasts when spotlights s...

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Latest User Review

Sophocles - 5 March 2013:

A new production of Sophocles’ classic tragedy is currently showing at the Blue Elephant Theatre in Camberwell. The relevance remains not only in the compelling psychological story, but also because this telling is transposed to an era of modern warfare, and the opening sight of a troop of soldiers (who here share the function of the Chorus) celebrating victory instantly recalls news footage of recent conflicts. The human consequences of warfare are creditably examined here too. This truncated version of Sophocles text picks out the dichotomy between free will and predestination. Could Oedipus by his actions ever escape his curse? The role of the gods in the fates of humans is represented by Andrew Glen’s priest (a nice reminder that religious tub-thumpers pre-date the monotheisms), though for the most part it’s the currently extant gods who are called to, with the odd blasphemous cry of “Jesus Christ”, and sporadic cussing making for a translation that resonates today. It’s produced by Lazarus Theatre Company, who have become a staple of London fringe theatre with their punchy and theatrically innovative retellings of the classics. Oedipus doesn’t disappoint, as it has all of the visual flair and concise storytelling you’d expect from a Lazarus production. Sound effects, smoke, lighting (including plenty of audacious but effective dusky backlighting) and movement combine to give the piece a cinematic flair – though the haunting sequence of nurses in gas masks is like something out of a horror film. I’m not sure whether that scared me more or the horrifying flashback induced by the smell of incense on walking into the auditorium. Oedipus is a feast for the audio-visual senses, but that alone is not enough to carry Greek tragedy. It’s a great ensemble piece, but it benefits massively from Robin Holden’s assured central performance as Oedipus. He passes muster as a commander of an army, helped in no small measure by his crew cut and toned physique; but he makes his king arrogant enough to seal his own fate yet human enough for us to sympathise. Alec Parkinson is perfectly cast to provide a contrasting brotherly Creon, and their final scene together is a creditable emotional payoff. Samantha Andersen has a challenge with Oedipus’ wife Jocasta since she only makes her mark half way through (the underwriting of female parts being an age-old problem) though she copes admirably with dramatic changes of emotional gears over the space of a few short scenes. There were a few instances where the sumptuous visual storytelling doesn’t marry comfortably with the stagey text. In such moments the action feels relatively static, especially when lengthy speeches or duologues followed short, movement-heavy scenes. There are exceptions to this, most especially Robin Holden’s lengthy monologue in which he comes to accept his fate. The delivery is chillingly good, and the silence and stillness surrounding him apposite and welcome. The effect is almost repeated later with Nasa Ohalet’s address, though there is slightly less impact from reportage than from a character whose journey we have followed. The Blue Elephant Theatre continues to be warm oasis for great theatre. It’s easy to get lost in a show here, and the modernistic Oedipus is a story that will draw you in. After all, human nature hasn’t changed over a handful of millennia. EF...

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