SYNOPSIS
OedipusThe ancient Greek tragedy - Oedipus - comes to London's National Theatre during the autumn of 2008. Starring respected British actor Ralph Fiennes in the lead role, Clare Higgins as his mother, Jocasta, and Alan Howard as the blind prophet, Teiresias, the play recounts the story of Oedipus in his search for his father's murderer. Showing at the National's Olivier stage this version of Sophocle's Oedipus begins with previews from 8th October, 2008, and public performances from 16th October, 2008. Bookings are available through to January 2009.
The story of Oedipus
Oedipus is the fabled King of Thebes who came to the throne when his father was murdered and then married his mother. But a curse plagues the city and its people - and they look to Oedipus to lift that curse and set the city free once more. Oedipus, perplexed by the curse, sends for help from the blind profit, Teiresias. He learns from the profit that the curse can only be lifted once the true identity of his father's murderer is known. Thus follows a relentless search in which Oedipus interrogates suspect after suspect to the edge of insanity, only to find that the one he is looking for has been known to him all along. For it is Oedipus himself who he searches for - the fulfiller of a prophecy cast before he was born.
The Oedipus production at the National Theatre is based on Frank McGuinness's interpretation of Sophocle's tragedy. It focuses on the curse of Thebes, and the pursuit of the truth that Oedipus must discover for himself. Audiences will see Oedipus peeled, layer by layer, down to his own self-destructive core.
The Creative TeamJonathan Kent directs Oedipus at the National Theatre. Kent is well known to West End theatre audiences having been the creative force behind several productions at the Almeida Theatre in Islington that subsequently transferred to the West End. Included among his successes is Medea, which played at both the West End and on Broadway.
At the Almeida Theatre Jonathan Kent was artistic co-director along with collaborator, the Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid. Kent has also directed three productions at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. His last work to be seen at the National Theatre was a production of The False Servant in September 2004, which starred Anthony Calf and Charlotte Rampling.
Oedipus is designed by Paul Brown. Brown has been a long-time collaborator with director Jonathan Kent. They worked together at the Almeida Theatre, and latterly at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Jonathan Dove created the music score for Oedipus. Dove is an accomplished music composer. He has arranged numerous operas for the English Touring Opera and Birmingham Opera Company. Between 2001 and 2006 Dove was also Artistic Director of the Spitalfields Festival.
