By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ***

WHEN?: Saturday 5 October, runs through 4 January 2025 RUNTIME: 120 minutes without interval

Robert Icke won the 2016 best director Olivier for Oresteia and perhaps in a nod to that there is a digital clock counting down above the stage until past secrets explode into the present.

• Read on for reasons including how we were hoping for a more laser-like focus on the central story

In this reimagining of the Ancient Greek tragedy Olivier winner Mark Strong gives us an Oedipus as politician on election night with the polls predicting a landslide victory.

In a nod to birtherism, the US movement that doubts or denies that Barack Obama was a natural-born citizen casting doubt on his legitimacy to be the 44th President, Oedipus’ flaw is that he ignores the advice of those around him and pursues the truth about his own birth certificate.

Oedipus is also promising an inquiry into the death of Laius, the former king, without having run the idea past Creon, his second-in-command.

The stakes are higher than Alexander Zerdin’s current modern day take on Antigone (The Other Place at the National) which we compared to a feature-length episode of EastEnders and there’s much that has promise here.

Lesley Manville (Talking Heads, Bridge Theatre and film Back To Black) as Oedipus’ wife Jocasta and June Watson (The Cherry Orchard, Donmar) as his mother Merope speak movingly as the clock ticks down further and secrets that had been buried for years become painfully unearthed.

This production follows hit runs at Internationaal Theatre Amsterdam and the Edinburgh Festival but includes too many ideas that detract from the power of the central tale including a needless coming out moment.

Icke has already enjoyed 1 of the most successful revivals of 2024 (Player Kings starring Sir Ian McKellen was longlisted for 3 monstas last month) but he seems to have bitten off rather more than he can chew here.

The clock, in particular, heightened the tension in Oresteia but here serves as a needless distraction as we were hoping for a more laser-like focus on the central story as Strong gives us everything to try to root the production in that space.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy DMT and Sonia Friedman Productions Tickets
• Have you seen a Mark Strong show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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