Oedipus

Robert Icke is one of the most exciting voices in theatre today. A master of transforming classic texts, he turns this ancient myth into a contemporary political thriller. Lesley Manville and Mark Strong deliver fantastic performances giving us a show that\'s repulsive, captivating and heartbreaking all at once.

Robert Icke’s Oresteia at The Almeida in 2015 was one of the most outstanding pieces of drama I think I will ever see. Icke brings to two thousand year drama sexy sets, a ticking clock, dramaturgical precision and dialogue that sounds normal but is innately poetic. Mark Strong as Oedipus and Lesley Manville as wife/mum Jocasta? Strong’s an extraordinary actor, completely believable as a likeable politician, oozing clubbable charisma. He can do storming physicality and gentle vulnerability – and everything he does is shaded with this earnest desire to find out the truth. And Lesley Manville. The best. She gets to show a bit of ice here. But while she snips and shouts at almost everyone around her, she shows nothing but adoration to Oedipus: smiles and loving eyes.