Medea the Musical – Upstairs at The Gatehouse

If the Camden Fringe summons visions of damp carpets and edgy comics managing onstage meltdowns, ‘cause it’s easier than getting therapy on the NHS, then The Musical Medea added another dimension entirely.

Upstairs at the Gatehouse is an award-winning Off West End theatre in leafy Highgate Village. The hilly avenues feel painfully civilised after the grunge and crackpipe vibes of Camden. It’s a refurbished 1895 auditorium, which sits above the Gatehouse pub and has the distinction of being London’s ‘top’ theatre (at 446ft above sea level). Historically, the venue has been a music hall, cinema, Masonic lodge, and a jazz and folk music club that once hosted Paul Simon. The ‘60s spirit of that iconic singer/songwriter greeted the audience of The Musical Medea as they wandered into the auditorium.

Before the play opened, the cast were already onstage, casually jamming like beatnik troubadours. They sang in semi psychedelic get-ups- flares, floaty dresses and embroidered waistcoats with beads. The simple and effective set was staged like a Summer of Love San Fran hippy hangout, complete with posters for Fleetwood Mac, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. As an introduction to this talented ensemble, it was charming, novel and very promising. Throughout the production, the cast showed considerable dexterity and range, with both vocals and shared command of instruments. The collective musical skills of the cast are such that they could ostensibly form an acoustic indie band. That might be a slicker route to critical acclaim than remixing Greek myths with wink at Woodstock and a nod at The Lion King.

Gracie Lai (Housekeeper) did top percussive work with a cajón, an Afro-Peruvian box drum, thought to originate from late 19^th century slaves. It’s sometimes used in Spanish flamenco and música criolla from Peru. Aegeus, King of Athens is played by Felix Gillingwater, who showed sharp comic chops and an entertaining mastery of the piano accordion.

Flo Lunnon plays Medea and boasts a spectacular voice, in addition to being a dab hand at playing the flute. The eternal challenge of this role is to make the vengeful mother somewhat sympathetic. Medea might be a monster, but she’s also of divine descent with magical powers who communes with the Gods. First staged in 431 BC, Euripides wrote this play as a theatrical update of an existing fable, staged for an audience with very different values from contemporary society. Putting a modern spin on this ancient horror show is a risky strategy, but winning interpretations usually succeed by still bringing visceral shock and awe. Mike Bartlett’s 2015–2017 BBC1 miniseries Doctor Foster (starring Suranne Jones) followed the Medea structure and left TV audiences shaken and gobsmacked. The story lost none of its power, despite the modern context and the narrative predictability.

We all know how it ends. Medea’s gonna kill her own kids. The plot twist in this production, is that the bitter wife of Jason DOESN’T slay her offspring. While this may soften the image of the most problematic mother in fictional history, it was hard not to feel robbed of both gore and lore. Costas Hassabis wrote the book, music and lyrics in this production and while he deserves credit for the tunes and songs, the child-friendly ending proved a confusing disappointment.

The Musical Medea bills itself as a ‘truly unique interpretation’ of the Greek classic and while giving the play a folk infused score feels justified, especially when delivered with this level of skill, changing the ending to give it a softer landing felt like a failure of imagination, rather than a bold creative move. After an interval, audiences of Medea naturally brace themselves for the second half bloodbath. To deny us that catharsis is a tragedy that one suspects would leave Euripides turning in his grave.

The Musical Medea is Upstairs at The Gatehouse until 3rd August, https://www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com/

Reviewer: Stewart Who?

Reviewed: 30th July 2025
North West End UK Rating: