Moira Buffini’s Welcome to Thebes re-imagines the disastrous aftermath of the fall of Oedipus in a 21st century environment by replacing Theban King Creon with his wife Eurydice. Mute in the Greek myth, Eurydice is anything but in the play: she is Thebes’ first female elected head of state and it is her impossible task to keep the fragile peace and solicit badly needed aid for her shattered country from her boorish neighbour, Theseus, self-styled ‘First Citizen’ of prosperous Athens.
Buffini has based the post-war setting on events in Liberia following the fall of Charles Taylor but cleverly retained the essential mythic elements and characters. This subtle blending allows her to underscore the cultural bewilderment of the Athenians / Americans when faced with alien and ancient traditions in strange lands peopled by old souls who do not want to be rendered a ‘zone of economic development’ by a patronising overlord, however benevolent his – and it is always his – intentions might be.
Egos, alliances and a complex web of family relationships constantly undermine even the best laid plans for nation building in Buffini’s Thebes and director Richard Eyre could not have timed this compelling production better: cracks are widening in the walls of the Lib-Con coalition even as the brothers Milliband turn on each other over the Iraq war.
Personality is often said to be the scourge of our national politics and complainants lament the subservience of Parliament to a charismatic Prime Minister. It might well be better for Britain if our bankers were boring and our leaders less telegenic but drama is made from clashes between characters and the powerplay between David Harewood’s overbearing Theseus and Nikki Amuka-Bird’s brave Eurydice is the axis around which everything else revolves.
Chuck Iwuji is excellent as the charismatic, corrupt Prince Tydeus; Vinette Robinson makes her dangerously brittle Antigone a touchstone for the state; and Akintayo Akinbode’s live band is a character in itself. No need to consult the Oracle: get a ticket.
A new play by Moira Buffini
Venue: Olivier Theatre
Running Time: 2 hours 45 mins inc interval
Cast credits:
• Eurydice: Nikki Amuka-Bird
• Megeara: Madeline Appiah
• Pargeia: Rakie Ayola
• Junior Lieutenant Scud: Omar Brown
• Ensemble: Jessie Burton
• Talthybia: Jacqueline Defferary
• Ensemble: Daniel Fine
• Ensemble: Karlina Grace
• Junior Lieutenant Scud: Rene Gray
• Theseus: David Harewood
• Ismene: Tracy Ifeachor
• Ensemble: Irma Inniss
• Prince Tydeus: Chuk Iwuji
• Girl: Alexia Khadime
• Phaeax: Ferdinand Kingsley
• Aglaea: Aicha Kossoko
• Ensemble: Cornelius Macarthy
• Haemon: Simon Manyonda
• Tiresias: Bruce Myers
• Euphrosyne: Pamela Nomvete
Production credits:
• Director: Richard Eyre
• Designer: Tim Hatley
• Lighting Designer: Neil Austin
• Music: Stephen Warbeck
• Choreographer: Scarlett Mackmin
• Sound Designer: Rich Walsh
Free tickets for 15-25 yr olds
Season: August 5 to September 12, 2010
