Oedipus The King

7 Ages Productions—Tom Hendry Theatre at the MTC Warehouse

This great play by Sophocles was first performed about 429 BC and the translation used in this production was done by W.B. Yeats in 1928. This present production, from Brandon and running for about eighty minutes, has a large cast of seventeen, but many of these actors have only cameo roles or are part of the chorus. Most are dressed in office-style attire, in colors of black, white, and grey. The set, as in most Fringe shows, is rudimentary: a few folding chairs and a small table. The actor who plays Oedipus looks like Abraham Lincoln, with a similar style of facial hair and a formal jacket that looks like it was from the 1800s. He is the undisputed star of the show, with a highly disproportionate number of lines compared to everyone else, and he projects energy well. I would have preferred slightly more dynamic blocking from some of the other performers, as some of them seem to be standing around and talking without much movement most of the time. That said, and even though the show starts off slowly, it gradually builds up momentum as it progresses and the awful truth of Oedipus’s origin is revealed to him, his courtiers, and to us, the audience. Even though this play is ancient, it still feels like a relevant commentary on the perils of power.

Konrad Antony