Above: Gord Rand as Oedipus
Are we all blind to our past?
Do we really know who we are?
Can we escape our fate, or are we forever destined to travel the path it has chosen for us?
The city of Thebes is in turmoil. Oedipus, the King of Thebes, promises to help his citizens however he can but when brother-in-law Creon tells him that Thebes is in such a state due to the mysterious murder of the former King Laius, Oedipus vows to find, capture and kill the murderer to avenge the Gods and end the plague within Thebes. Oedipus will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth, and summons the prophet Teiresias for help in the matter. When Teiresias tells Oedipus to abandon his search and that Oedipus himself is the killer, Oedipus becomes enraged and vows to continue his search but to find the culprit, what will Oedipus discover about himself and his ultimate fate?
I've read Oedipus Rex for various English and Mythology classes, so I was thrilled to see Sophocles' masterpiece on stage for the first time and I was in no way disappointed. Led by Gord Rand as the fated King Oedipus, this Stratford Shakespeare Festival's production was easily my favorite of the season due to its intriguing subject matter with modern twists and the intense deliveries given by the entire cast from beginning to end.
Oedipus is a tricky character, thus he requires an actor who is willing to take any and every risk. Gord Rand was perfect to play the fated king as he was willing to do this and more. Rands commitment was far beyond what I ever would have expected, and because of this, his entire performance was utterly mesmerizing. From giving monologues atop tables to ending the play on stage butt naked for a solid amount of time, Rands Oedipus is nothing short of magnificent. Alongside and equally as important and wonderful was Yanna McIntosh as Oedipus' wife and voice of reason, Jocasta. Though Jocasta does not have much in the play, McIntoshs performance was quite powerful and played off of Rands wonderfully. I have always believed that actors are either good at comedy or tragedy and on rare occasion I'll find one that can do both, suffice to say after seeing McIntosh in various Stratford productions she flourishes in tragedy. But perhaps my favorite performance of the night was given by Nigel Bennett as the blind prophet Teiresias. On stage for no more than ten minutes in the role, Bennett had me in the palm of his hand from the moment he entered the stage. His lines were incredibly powerful and the way he simply would sit silently in his chair was extraordinary. This trio along with perhaps the strongest ensemble cast I have ever seen is enough reason alone to see this revolutionary production of Oedipus Rex.
The plays modern setting and minimalist set also added to the dark undertones of the tragedy. Upon first entering the theater and seeing the set, the first thing that came to mind was something like a concentration camp: tall posts with fog horns, one table and rolling chair and a set of collapsible chairs all around the stage. The only other piece used for the production was a microphone where the chorus took turns giving speeches to the masses of Thebes. Setting this production in modern times was extremely smart and gave new life to the famous Sophocles work. Similar to its set all costumes, with the exception of Jocasta and the prophet Tiresias, were either black, dark or light gray, showing a majority of the plays symbolism along with its gloomy outlook.
Everything about this production was simply incredible. It is truly a hidden gem among Stratfords 2015 season.
"How dreadful the knowledge of the truth can be, when there's no help in truth."
Stratford Shakespeare Festivals Oedipus Rex Trailer
For photos and videos of this production, visit:
http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Oedipus-Rex and click on Videos & Photos
For more information about the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, visit:
http://www.stratfordfestival.ca/
***NEXT REVIEW:***
Love's Labor Lost
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