Oedipus at Colonus/Electra review – a double shot of Sophocles in Sicily
Greek theatre, Syracuse Two searing new productions, performed in a hallowed space by intense ensembles, bring strikingly fresh energy to the ancient dramasConcurrent London productions recently presented Oedipus as a modern politician pledging a new start (Mark Strong in the West End) and as a distant detective investigating a climate catastrophe that jeopardises Thebans’ future (Rami Malek at the Old Vic).Sophocles’ late play Oedipus at Colonus, less commonly known, looks not ahead but backwards. This elegiac tragedy finds the exile reaching the end of his life. The 5,000-strong audience at Syracuse’s ancient outdoor theatre hear Giuseppe Sartori’s barefoot Oedipus before they see him. His wooden staff strikes the steps as he descends among us, down to the front row and on to a stage populated by trees that thicken the woodland around the theatre. “It seems this place is sacred,” announces Antigone (Fotinì Peluso) at the wanderer’s side. That goes for this Sicilian playing space as well as the drama’s setting of Colonus, near Athens. Continue reading...
Greek theatre, Syracuse
Two searing new productions, performed in a hallowed space by intense ensembles, bring strikingly fresh energy to the ancient dramas
Concurrent London productions recently presented Oedipus as a modern politician pledging a new start (Mark Strong in the West End) and as a distant detective investigating a climate catastrophe that jeopardises Thebans’ future (Rami Malek at the Old Vic).
Sophocles’ late play Oedipus at Colonus, less commonly known, looks not ahead but backwards. This elegiac tragedy finds the exile reaching the end of his life. The 5,000-strong audience at Syracuse’s ancient outdoor theatre hear Giuseppe Sartori’s barefoot Oedipus before they see him. His wooden staff strikes the steps as he descends among us, down to the front row and on to a stage populated by trees that thicken the woodland around the theatre. “It seems this place is sacred,” announces Antigone (Fotinì Peluso) at the wanderer’s side. That goes for this Sicilian playing space as well as the drama’s setting of Colonus, near Athens. Continue reading...
