Perhaps they need to simply name it “Eddie.”
Playwright-director Robert Icke drops the “rex” in Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” as a result of he units the tragedy within the modern world the place the title character is working to be prime minister of the U.Okay. That nation and that political workplace are usually not talked about, however a brief movie that kicks off Icke’s two-hour play makes it clear that the politician Oedipus is working for highest workplace in what very a lot appears like London. And, after all, there are the British accents so adored by Broadway theatergoers. “Oedipus” opened Thursday at Studio 54 after an Olivier Award-winning run on the West Finish.
Apart from the replace from Thebes, Icke’s largest change isn’t having Oedipus (Mark Robust) homicide Laius, his birth-father, out of highway rage. It’s now a automotive accident, making the brand new Oedipus a sufferer of circumstances, which is melodrama, not tragedy. Granted, the Sophocles tragedy is a narrative of how one can’t mess with destiny, however Oedipus must have some duty for what occurs.
Icke’s story makes extra sense being set in the USA, because the playwright has lifted so many all-American tales. Assume Barack Obama when this Oedipus guarantees to launch his beginning certificates. Assume Jeffrey Epstein when Jocasta (Lesley Manville) remembers being raped at age 13 by Laius, who, because it seems, was a serial youngster trafficker.
The largest pleasure of this status manufacturing is watching how Icke pastes these fashionable references onto a basic story. It’s typically enjoyable to look at, however by no means greater than intelligent. Icke additionally panders to one of many theater’s largest demos by having one in every of Jocasta and Oedipus’ sons, Polyneices (James Wilbraham), be outed by his brother, Eteocles (Jordan Scowen), at a household dinner. As a result of he’s such an exquisite father, Oedipus reassures Polyneices of his love and help by delivering a speech written by somebody at PFLAG.
Past Sophocles, Icke’s sources aren’t so basic. Oedipus’ adoptive mom, Merope (Anne Reid), reveals to her granddaughter, Antigone (Olivia Reis), how her husband, Polybus, had an extramarital affair. The dialogue is true out of Clare Boothe Luce’s “The Girls.”
There’s additionally Jocasta’s confession about being raped by Laius. An identical speech in “Butterfly 8” helped to win Elizabeth Taylor her first Oscar. Truly, the monologue in that 1959 potboiler is way more durable, as a result of Taylor’s character not solely speaks of being sexually molested when she was 13 years outdated (identical to Manville’s Jocasta) however that “I cherished it!”
Which remembers the ethical distinction between Oedipus murdering Laius and that loss of life being a mere automotive accident.
Ultimately, Ickes’ updating turns the Sophocles basic right into a parody. After all of the secrets and techniques of incest, beginning, homicide and infidelity have been revealed, Oedipus tells Jocasta, “I feel I’ve disillusioned you.”
Ya suppose?
Icke’s route places an enormous digital clock on stage in order that we are able to countdown the prophecy of Teiresias (Samuel Brewer) because it comes true in actual time. If nothing else, Icke respects the three unities of Greek drama.
Robust makes for a robust, horny, charismatic politician. His Oedipus would positively be a vote magnet after he replaces “Oedipus” with “Go Ed, Go!” on all these T-shirts.
Manville disappoints. Aside from her huge Liz Taylor second, her vocally weak Jocasta recedes into Hildegard Bechtler’s set design of a marketing campaign office-suite. The Oedipus political machine has an actual money-flow downside, apparently. Regardless of it being election night time, varied muscle males seem on stage to take away the rented workplace furnishings. They will’t wait till the election outcomes are introduced?
A pleasant contact is how Oedipus pokes out his eyes on this manufacturing. Sophocles has his title character use pins from Jocasta’s brooch. Icke positively improves on Sophocles there.
