Oedipus at Colonus

Thank you for the warm welcome to watch a new experience for me, an ancient Greek drama written by the Greek playwright Sophocles with an edited Prologue and editing copyright by David Ivall, 2022.

The hall had been set out on two levels. The rear of stage was set with a wooded glade with tabs either side. In front of this was set a large stone seat and a carving of a horse with a rider on it. This area had entrances both left and right. The hall floor which represented open ground near Colonus was accessed by steps and was set out with a variety of seating both stage left and right with entrances and exits for the players to the back of the hall, right to Thebes and left to Athens.

Lighting was provided on poles either side of the stage with a selection of Fresnel’s and modern led lights which provided set colour sequences during the performance. The storm sound effects were authentic and well timed. They were both well controlled from the back of the hall.

The costumes were robes and headdresses and were well fitting and created with appropriate material. The status of the players was clearly demonstrated by the decoration applied to them.

I thought it was very sensible to reduce the size of your raked seating to fit the audience you expected. It felt as if we were part of an exclusive club and those present obviously enjoyed the play tremendously.

We were informed before the performance began that the show had been affected by covid and the prompt had been called upon to take an active part in the play with the script. I would like here to congratulate her on her performance, to be able to actively follow the show for the other members of the cast and read the appropriate lines and be in the correct position on the stage was done with great skill.

The prologue added by David Ivall was cleverly presented to us by members of the cast and set the scene for us before the main play began.

The story dramatizes the end of Oedipus’ life. During the story he changes from a blind beggar who was banished from his city because of his sins into a figure of power able to deliver blessings.

This was a very wordy piece of theatre and must have taken many hours to learn the speeches which were delivered on the night brilliantly. One little point I think I need to mention was that I found it a little distracting when a player suddenly says ‘line’ during a performance. I don’t know if this just happened because the prompt was playing a part with the script and was visible on stage but normally, I would say the cast help each other out with a clue of the next line.

I would also like to congratulate the chorus pieces which were delivered in unison, not an easy thing to do successfully. Well done all.

You certainly collected a strong cast to perform this classic play. Oedipus gave an outstandingly powerful performance; he was barely away from the stage. It was a tour de force, he worked through a gamut of emotions whilst delivering his wordy script with clarity. A stupendous piece of theatre!

The actor playing Antigone did so in a caring manner, she delivered her script clearly with a variety of sentiments. She displayed her love for her father and concern for his wellbeing against his oppressors. Excellent work.

Ismene, Oedipus’ elder daughter commanded the stage when she was performing with a quiet yet determined presence. She demonstrated her care and despair for members of her family during her performance. A brilliant portrayal.

The next actor I would like to mention played three different roles. A very difficult feat but he was able with the addition of wigs and a change of costumes to portray the roles assigned to him with feeling.

The character of King Theseus was delivered with gravitas by this experienced actor. He clearly showed his concern and belief of Oedipus’ visions and prophecies. Well done.

The three ladies playing the Guardians of the Sanctuary at Colonus did so with conviction. They explained the importance of the holy ground that Oedipus had stumbled across and why they required him to move on. They all spoke clearly to convey their story but I would like to mention Guardian one whose portrayal was excellent.

The villagers of Colonus and attendant of Theseus all created different characters which were delivered with feeling. Well done all.

I must admit that Greek tales are not stories I have a great deal of in-depth knowledge about and I was a little concerned about writing a review about the play but, I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and your play has increased my knowledge and encouraged me spend some time researching other plays.

Thank you to all those involved very much for an enlightening evening’s entertainment.

Disclaimer 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be affected by that knowledge. 

The NODA Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular, the performance.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre. 

 It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

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