Soho Place’s second classic, since recently opening as the newest West End theatre, is ‘Medea’ played by Sophie Okonedo and directed by Dominic Cooke. This tale is renowned, presenting to the world a woman consumed with revenge. Opposite her is Ben Daniels, taking on all male parts swiftly moving between characters like putting on fresh new skin.
The space being in the round completed this picture of judgement circling Medea as she mourns the life she left behind, killing her own brother and defying her city to live a life with Jason. Upon arrival, Jason moves on to Creon’s daughter with the desire of power and wealth, leaving Medea and their two children. As the tragedy begins, Medea wails beneath the stage as her nurse seeks our guidance. Placed within the audience, the Women of Corinth (Amy Trigg, Jo McInnes and Penny Layden) pass their judgement and opinions but welcome Medea as one of them. Medea rejects this offer, already consumed with her plan of revenge.
Medea starts this day begging for more time after being exiled- just a few more hours to sort her affairs. Seemingly weak and frail from grief, once alone with the women her power grows, slowly pulling her onto her feet, almost levitating by the end as if a villain in a movie. Daniels shifts into different males. He circles her home in slow motion making his presence overwhelming, a cat and mouse chase that always pressures her wherever he might be. Those two opposing motions, Okonedo still in her home and Daniels ever moving presents skill in Cooke’s direction- we are never not aware of a time pressure to Medea’s final plan and although I am Team Medea all the way, I know what the cost is and that is what makes this motion so pressing.
The audience are never far away from involvement, with the women sat within us but also with the cast addressing us, which holds a lot of power over us to stay attached. The finale sees the most vulnerable killed for the sake of equal pain, to pull Jason into her depth even if it means to lose her babies. Something unimaginable but Okonedo releases that instinct and replaces it with deep hatred. In her earlier meeting she ensures safe passage to Athens and ends looking onwards as Jason, soaked in the blood of his children sinks on his knees. The two switched to how they began.
My only drawback could possibly be confusion to where and what modern aspects were embraced VS others. Medea of course in her dark, long dress and the women dressed how we might dress for a lovely night out at the theatre. Mixed with a bare and slightly ancient set consisting of beige tiling. It wasn’t something that brought me out but at times I didn’t know what I was pulling from this, it was bare, open and impassive.
The production is powerful, smart and a short retelling of Greek’s most hated but admired Villians. It’s a story of revenge and embracing the side of you that people project onto you; Medea became the witch everyone believed her to be.
Playing until 22nd April, https://ticketing.sohoplace.org/tickets/series/SPMED01M
Reviewer: Alice Rose
Reviewed: 18th February 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★