Discover what is being said about Matthew Warchus and Hofesh Shechter’s production of the tragedy, which is running at the Old Vic Theatre until the 29th March.
WhatsOnStage: *** “Overall, it’s a frustrating, uneven production, full of good ideas and powerful images, but ultimately dancing on the surface of Sophocles’s profoundly questing play, never quite piercing to its dark heart.”
The Daily Mail: *** “Warchus’s production and Rae Smith’s design is typically easy on the eye, with its cat-walk couture and alternation between Stygian gloom and the hazy orange light of a parched desert state. So, although it lacks the intellectual grit and psychological terror of Sophocles’ original, boy does that dancing give it some primal swagger.”
The Standard: *** “But somehow, because of the disjointed madness of these miscellaneous spectacles, it’s weirdly compelling. Yes it’s all a bit much, but for the first time in 2,500 years you can watch Oedipus and not quite know what’s going to happen next.”
Time Out: “I found the production too bizarre to hate, and there is something about it that works on a visceral level, if not a textual one. But taking the sting out of the end of Oedipus is like making a Superman film that’s just about Clark Kent working for a newspaper. I’m all for interrogating a text, but just removing the stuff that has kept Oedipus popular for 2,500 years is, is, ironically, the biggest display of hubris in the show.”
London Theatre 1: ** “However, while the production’s aesthetics are often beautiful, they can’t compensate for the lack of narrative drive. Right at the end, Oedipus asks if the people are better now, to which the chorus turn their heads slowly towards the audience leaving a note of ambiguity. But the production itself never fully earns the weight of the question. Oedipus should be a relentless march towards the truth, each revelation adding to its inevitable doom. Instead, this version struggles to sustain its dramatic tension, its detached ideas never quite forming a cohesive whole.”
West End Best Friend: *** “Oedipus, newly adapted by Ella Hickson and co-directed by Hofesh Shechter and Matthew Warchus, envelops the audience in a brooding atmosphere from the very start. While it preserves the fundamental themes of Sophocles’ original, this production injects modern flair through its blend of text, movement, and striking stagecraft.”
The Guardian: **** “Rami Malek’s air of having dropped from another planet has served him well on film as a Bond villain or Freddie Mercury. He brings outsider vibes to Oedipus – speaking in an elusive American drawl, adopting the mantle of leadership like a haunted robot.”
All That Dazzles: **** “Playing Jocasta is Indira Varma in a performance that surprisingly dominates even when her, shall we say family member, is supposed to be ruling. Always captivating in her performance, Varma showcases all her strengths as a performer, channelling moments of comedy, terror and anguish – culminating with the ultimate revelation.”
There Ought to be Clowns: “Indira Varma delivers the kind of reliably excellent performance we’ve come to expect from her but she’s cut a little adrift by the challenges of trying to build a connection with Malek’s isolationist work. It’s always good to see Cecilia Noble though, having a ball as a cackling Tiresias, and Nicholas Khan and Joseph Mydell register strongly as Creon and Corinthian respectively.”
The Telegraph: ** “This overcooked, jarring production is the latest iteration of West End star casting and the craze has surely reached a nadir.”
The FT: *** “The production looks sensational, the cavernous depths of the Old Vic stage sculpted by Rae Smith’s sliding screens and Tom Visser’s stark lighting, which silhouettes the royal family against throbbing, merciless sunbursts or in icy, dark interiors.”
London Unattached: *** “That said, this version of Oedipus is a visual treat, making full use of the depth of the Old Vic stage (the seats rows A to F have been removed from the auditorium to extend our sightlines far further back than is normally the case here). The lighting is simply spectacular and turns this Thebes into a land where the giant sun feels like it has come far too close to the Earth.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “Shechter is – as ever – Shechter. His choreography is a wonder to behold, full of magnetic physicality. Under some fantastic lighting by Tom Visser, the dancers become luminous beings who pump life into this occasionally meandering plot. Whether flailing under the oppressive heat or celebrating the return of the rains, the sharp and succulent moves pull us in and often throw up more exposition and drama than seen in the script. “
The Stage: *** “Striking imagery and performances from Rami Malek and Indira Varma bring attention-grabbing spectacle to this shallow Sophocles adaptation by Ella Hickson.”
The Reviews Hub: ***** ” Malek is tragic from the offset, already weary at the start, coming on stage breathless and vulnerable. He generously offers water to his subjects from his limited royal supply. At some points his Southern drawl reminds one of Blanche DuBois or Bette Davis, especially when he says the lines ‘divinely inspired.’ Malek may be a modern Hollywood actor, but he exudes the era of the silver screen.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.oldvictheatre.com/stage/oedipus/