Oedipus Rex by Declan Donnellan arrived in Tbilisi as a mirror that reflected the power. This production, which opened the GIFT2024, the Georgian International Festival of Arts on November 3rd & 4th, at Silk Factory Studio transformed Sophocles’ ancient tragedy into a striking metaphor for the contemporary context of accountability and corruption. Donnellan’s production, which does not rely on interactive effects or trendy immersiveness, casts the audience as part of a “crowd” gathered by government officials to witness a quest after justice that tragically reveals their own corruption. Oedipus Rex is set against the backdrop of recent parliamentary elections in Georgia and ongoing protests.
This production of Oedipus, which is part of the GIFT Festival, celebrates Georgia’s unique culture and identity. It also highlights the festival’s global reach by highlighting themes such as civic responsibility, integrity and the high cost of denial.
Donnellan’s production is a powerful piece, but it raises a provocative issue: can theater break the fourth-wall as effectively as the streets?
The audience as witnesses: the “Crowd Scene”, as political theater
Donnellan’s choice of making the audience a symbolically part of the crowd gathered by Oedipus, is a clever and understated tool for modern resonance. In Oedipus rex, the king gathers the people to declare publicly that no stone will remain unturned to find the killer of Laius the former king whom the gods have demanded be cast out in order to end the plague. Donnellan’s Oedipus makes these declarations with fervor. He is a charismatic leader so adamant about his pursuit of justice, that he almost seems intoxicated by it. Bruno Noferi’s Oedipus has an air of ecstasy when he promises to root all corruption out, leaving the audience, which knows the myth’s trajectory, prepared for the inevitable tragic twist.
Donnellan does not create a truly immersive experience by merely casting his audience as passive observers rather than active participants. The minimalist design of Nick Ormerod does not transform the audience into an active mob that is protesting or force them to be complicit with the king. They watch as Oedipus, with his tragic hubris, leads him to ruin. Ironically, the real-life protests in Tbilisi, the passionate cries of the streets, are what break the fourth wall.
A striking allegory of corruption and decay
This Oedipus rex confronts the power’s ability corrupt, deceive, and ultimately cannibalize itself. Oedipus, as his own prosecutor and judge, implicates himself in every act of justice, unknowingly stripping him bare. The ancient ritual of self discovery becomes a public denunciation. As the truth unfolds the king, who was once a towering authority figure, is exposed as “naked” and guilty of the crimes he sought out to eradicate.
Oedipus by Donnellan is a play that makes a promise to audiences who are used to political rhetoric. It promises transparency, a vow not to tolerate corruption, and a declaration of relentless injustice. As the tragedy reaches its inevitable conclusion, the audience is forced to face a familiar truth. The grandiose speech and moralistic statements often mask deeper failures. Donnellan’s Oedipus does not bring reform to Thebes, but he does bring revelation, a moment where the public finally sees him as he is. Oedipus Rex, in doing so transcends its origins and becomes a cautionary story for a world struggling with the failures that authority.
The production’s minimalist impact is powerful and subtle
Donnellan’s aesthetics are characterized by restraint. Here, Oedipus is played out on a bare stage, almost bleak, where shadows, harsh lighting, and dark colors create a feeling of unease. The audience is brought face to face with Sophocles and his text, without the weight of elaborate set pieces. In this space, each movement, each intonation has enormous weight. The set, designed and built by Ormerod, relies heavily on simplicity to allow the timeless tragedy of Sophocles, translated by Theodor Georgescu and Constantin Georgescu.
While some may find Donnellan’s restrained, almost intellectual approach lacking in the visceral excitement of modern immersive theatre, it serves as a powerful counterpoint to the performance’s potent themes. Rather than involving the audience in an interactive spectacle, Donnellan’s staging allows them to quietly observe a tragic event that they cannot stop. It’s a good reminder that classic theater has the power to reflect society, not to immerse but to bring to light the hard truths which we may choose to ignore.
Beyond the Stage: Theatre as Political Resonance
The production of Oedipus rex, supported by Romanian State Culture Fund (Fondul de Culture Naţional al României), features an outstanding international cast including Ioana Andone, as Jocasta, and Petri Stefanescu, as Creon. Each actor channels the psychological complexity of their character with Donnellan’s signature emphasis on body expression. The cast’s intense yet restrained performances remind audiences that Oedipus is more than just a story about ancient Greek fate. It is a reflection of human fragility, self-deception, and denial.
Oedipus rex is a play that has themes that resonate far beyond the Silk Factory Studio. The parallels between Oedipus’s reckless pursuit of Justice and the political climate in Tbilisi is striking. This play, despite its restrained presentation, resonates ironically with the current political climate in Tbilisi. Donnellan’s production does not break the fourth-wall, but the narrative is powerful and reminds audiences that accountability is often the first casualty of the rise and fall in power.
A Masterstroke of Timeliness
Declan Donnellan’s Oedipus rex is a hauntingly pertinent commentary on the perils and cyclical nature corruption. Donnellan’s production, which relies on minimalist staging and restrained audiences involvement, speaks to the enduring power of Sophocles tragedy in an era with turbulent political landscapes.
This opening production of Tbilisi’s GIFT Festival has demonstrated the power of classical theater to engage our most pressing contemporary issues. In a world in which public trust is on the edge, Oedipus Rex serves as a reminder and warning. Theater’s greatest contribution can be to show us “the King naked” in a stark, unvarnished way.
By Ivan Nechaev
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