Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Georgina Panteli, Lucy Swain, Madeline Smart, Polly Couslon, Mark Raynor, Benedict Spence, Mary Jayne Cooper, Charlie Wilson, Alex Webber-Date, George Dorran, Graham Cain, Jacob Lowman, Pallav Ratra.
There is something about Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex that speaks down through the ages in such a way that its brutality, jealousy, pride and ignorance are more akin to 21st century human nature than people probably care to admit. It is a play that can divide opinion and cause many a troubled thought to enter the audiences’ minds due to the graphic nature that can be readily employed by the company performing it.
As part of their spring season of plays at the University of Liverpool, L.U.D.S. (Liverpool University Drama Society) under the guidance and passion of Rio Matchett have taken the production on, and whilst condensing the performance down time wise to an hour, have lost none of the cruelty of feelings of depraved anger that are central to the core of the play.
By condensing the play down in time, written and adapted for L.UD.S by Phyllis Brighous, the production benefits in other ways not particularly seen before. With the main focus of the play framing the interaction between Mark Raynor’s Oedipus, his brother-in-law Croen, performed with great fervency by Benedict Spence and a superb version of the blind seer Tiresius performed by Charlie Wilson. This last part was truly brilliant as to see a female performer take on the part was both stunning and well worked. It gave the part an extra dimension in the use of explaining the use of visions. A masterpiece of casting!
Director Rio Matchett is one of the strongest young actors/directors who currently calls Liverpool her home. By taking on what should be considered one of the greats of theatre she further strengthens this position. The enormity of the production is one that even just sitting in the Stanley Theatre of the University of Liverpool is considerably daunting, it speaks of many bad speaks, such evils of human nature that it has always been a thrilling and yet utterly exhausting play. Ms. Matchett, her crew and her superb cast may be on the University treadmill but this was by far one of the most important evenings of their lives and they succeeded where others in the past have failed.
A tremendous evening and well worth putting the psyche through.
Ian D. Hall