Medea

After lengthy queueing outside on a crowded pavement, patrons were invited to enjoy the live from Europe livestream of Medea, on a large cinema screen. A complex and ambitious live streaming undertaking, an audience in Mount Gambier was also simultaneously able to enjoy the experience, opening some of the best of the Festival up to both  country and city patrons.  Fortunately, audience members in all parts of Her Majesty’s had a clear view of this English sub-titled Netherland production, with both sound and visual quality being excellent. Never intruding, light design by Bernie van Velzen and sound by Stefan Gregory seamlessly and strategically showcased the actors and action.

Performed against a stark white backdrop, this re-imagination of Medea was literally a once only experience. In Greek mythology, Medea means ‘well-counselled’ and she is known in most stories as a sorceress. In this version of the tale, the actor playing the modern-day Medea, Marieke Heebink, does indeed, weave magic, but her grisly end begs questioning whether she was well-counselled.

The added bonus, unavailable in traditional live productions for those not in the stalls, was the beautifully framed, often full screen, powerful close ups that left the audience in no doubt about the struggles, humour and tension that the talented cast portrayed.

As Anna, Heebink was spellbinding. With the huge stark white screen as her palette, she painted every emotion and nuance of a wronged woman, discarded for a younger version, additionally alienated from her children and lifestyle. Both cruelly used, and humiliatingly rejected by her former husband Lucas, played with passion and power by Aus Greidanus jr., Heebink shared bottomless pain, unwarranted optimism, love, rejection and ultimately, unbridled madness with the fully engaged audience, who, despite most knowing the story, held their breath and prayed. The blank canvas story screen quickly became black and white, but we know, of course that Euripedes’ ‘most in demand tragedy’, is anything but black and white. Supporting cast was excellent, each character being beautifully developed and portrayed. Of note was the work of each actor in dealing with or purposefully using the black hail-like soot that tumbled strategically onto the pristine, white set.

Written and directed by Simon Stone, Medea, created for Ivo van Hove’s Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, is the company’s third collaboration with the Adelaide Festival, and there is no doubt as to the reason. For Medea, this company and its creative team have undeniably developed and presented exciting theatre, using breathtakingly skilled actors. On this occasion, they have re-imagined the classic Greek tragedy based on a contemporary American true story where a female oncologist systematically undertook a trail of murders, and ultimately her own life, mirroring the 430BC classic. In this production we are privy to crimes that are unthinkable, with the motive vacillating between jealousy, pain and the need for ultimate control. This production never ceases to engage and horrify the enraptured audience.

Medea is a classic, and this clever reshaping adds relevance and a new relatable context for modern audiences. Hopefully Internationaal Theater Amsterdam will continue to be a Festival collaborator; challenging, entertaining and provoking us to view theatre differently in different times.

Jude Hines

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