Oedipus Rex on Broadway

Outstanding British Production

By: Karen Isaacs - Dec 01, 2025

 

How do you make one of the greatest tragedies of all time relevant to today? Particularly when it was written almost 2500 years ago.

Sophocles wrote the Theban Trilogy (Oedipus or Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone) sometime around 425 BC. His tragedy Antigone, the third play, lends itself more easily to updating. Over the years, multiple adaptations of the play have been set in a variety of places, time periods, and contexts.

Now, from London comes a spectacular adaptation of Oedipus. This is not set in ancient Greece; in fact, it could be any place in our modern world. It is election night, and Oedipus, the candidate for leader, is expecting a landslide victory. He is surrounded by his wife, his children, his brother-in-law, who was his campaign advisor, and others as they wait out the tallies.

During the evening, everything comes tumbling down.

Robert Icke, billed as “creator,” has taken this plot which involves challenging the gods and exposing hubris, and yet made it seem rational and realistic in today’s world. He hasn’t changed the names of characters and he hasn’t changed the major plot elements. He has simplified the backstory a little, but not a lot. He has added some additional meat to the roles of Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife and Antigone, their daughter. But he is also kept the focus on the man himself.

The first scene, after a brief scene, is Oedipus making a statement to reporters, while supporters cheer and hold placards. His comments are powerful: “while we were sleeping, while we were staring into our palms, they deliberately dragged us backwards to a time when the rich were rich, and the poor were poor, backwards to when people who weren’t like us deserved persecution, backwards until rumours and lies were the same thing as truth – and we’ve seen that in this campaign. My opponent loves the idea this country isn’t my country. He doesn’t say I couldn’t do the job – he says I’m not from here. My identity doesn’t fit.”  He even throws in a line about releasing his birth certificate which got knowing laughs from the audience.

The ancient Greeks knew the ending of this story; they knew the catastrophe that would befall the state because of Oedipus. Aristotle called the emotional reaction the audience should have “catharsis.” I’ve seen the play before, but seldom have a experienced that dep emotional response to Oedipus at the end. This time I did. I may not have always liked Oedipus, but what happens to him, what destroys him and his wife and family emotionally moved me. That is credit to the performers, particularly Mark Strong as Oedipus and Lesley Manville as his wife Jocosta, but also director Icke.

The desperation of one of the last scenes was gut wrenching. I will admit, the very final scene seemed extraneous; after the stage goes black, the crowds cheer and then we are back two years earlier – at the beginning of the campaign. It seemed both puzzling and deflating after the emotional intensity.

Mark Strong is magnificent as Oedipus – a mixture of arrogance and moral certainty and idealism. It is a powerful combination. Yet he can be ruthless and cruel, and  always needs to be right; often angry at Creon, his campaign manager and Jocasta’s brother, played by a fine David Carroll Lynch.

As Jocasta, Manville is both the supportive political wife and lover. She is most powerful in the scene where she tells Oedipus about Laius, the old King. As she recounts it, you can’t help but think of the people surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.

These two are surrounded by a fine cast – Oliva Reis as Antigone, Anne Reid as Oedipus’ mother Merope,  Samuel Brewer as Teiresias – more street person than ancient seer, and Bhasker Patel as Cronin, who is the key to solving the mystery of who Oedipus is.

Hildegard Bechtler’s scenic design is a typical campaign headquarters – looking both temporary and permanent, cluttered and disorganized. Tal Yarden’s video designs add a sense of realism to the campaign rallies.

This is a limited run, scheduled to end February 8. It’s at Studio 54.