Oedipus at the Old Vic

Strong contrasts and sudden changes of rhythm are crucial in this production of Oedipus. Hofesh Shechter Company set the stone straight away with shadowy tribal movements in the opening sequence before even setting the scene or introducing the protagonists. The dancers take on the part of the chorus, the most poetic and compelling element in ancient theatre, and they bring this so much back to life it induces goosebumps. They are the spirit of the tragedy, the emotions, the people.

The plot traces back to the original. Thebes is suffering a long-standing drought and King Oedipus (Rami Malek) wants to find a solution to relieve his people from their sufferings by consulting the Oracle. This latter prophesied that to purify the land, they needed to bring to justice the murderers of King Laius, the first husband of Jocasta (Indira Varma) who remarried Oedipus 20 years ago when he got Thebes, resolved the Sphinx riddle and freed the city. The monarch and Creon (Nicholas Khan) investigate the old case and call prophet Tiresias (Cecilia Noble) to help find the criminals, but what she reveals is an unpleasant truth that turns the whole royal family upside down. 

Greek tragedies have been referred to for centuries as the classics and the epitome of drama for many reasons. Among the main ones, there’s the fact they question the inherently fleeting conditions of men and women on earth without abstract philosophy but with storytelling. The happenings of Oedipus and Jocasta push to the limit the right to knowledge: how much peeking into the future will benefit present actions? Fate will find its way through people’s escapes. Fear, faith and destiny: how interlaced are they and how much power human beings really have in their own lives? Ella Hickson doesn’t shy away from asking, even spelling it out towards the very end, leaving the audience pondering the role of gods and society’s snares to ultimately become how hideous or good you are meant to be. She leaves the narrative to speak for itself, supported by the corporeal expression of the dances.

Malek interprets a young King Oedipus as an inexpert, enthusiast of his intelligence, but a victim of fate and of the complicit ignorance weaved by those surrounding him. He makes mostly use of his voice, with lanky and unchanging body language. The sustained acting of Varma as Jacasta is solid throughout but could have benefited from a more charged intensity at times. The running time is below two hours, and still, there are a lot of moments that drag on, with a performance pathos that goes almost in the proportionally inverse direction of the tragedy climax, fading away if not eventually revived only by the final whodunnit reveal.

Shechter does an incredible job with the choreography, which blends with the acting in a fluid tide. The ten dancers are, at times, restricted to a two-metre area, now they expand to the full stage, now they fluctuate diagonally from corner to corner. Their energy is palpable, wearing ragged costumes. The lights by Tom Visser are vibrant, creating solid spaces out of thin air, making up for the total absence of a set design. The darkness, instead, gradually unveils the animosity of the people, a sort of primordial spirit hovering all over the space. The company is magnetic, from the very first appearance to the curtain call. 

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Manuel Harlan

Oedipus is at the Old Vic from 21^st January until 29^th March 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Oedipus at the Old Vic here: