Oedipus w/Mark Strong & Lesley Manville - Wyndham’s

It is an odd play, in that most of us know what happens in the end. But then, so did most of the Greeks.

I think this production is mesmerising and devastating, and that Icke has done for Oedipus what he did for the Oresteia, and for Hamlet in its staging, in that he finds the core of the play and makes it work for now.

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville are peerless, and the whole ensemble zings along with them, especially June Watson and Michael Gould.

Some spoilers follow. . .

For the Greeks, this play certainly wasn't "over-reliant on coincidences," since Apollo makes every event happen (which Oedipus explicitly addresses in the original text). This was for the Greeks about acknowledging the awesome power of the Gods, and the helplessness of human beings in the face of them.

It is true that Oedipus doesn't deserve or earn his fate, in the original text, as he is simply the victim of his father's crimes against Apollo, whose whole line Apollo resolved to destroy. And in that sense, this story is nothing like Shakespeare's tragedies, where leading characters have agency and bring about their own fates, although of course, even in Shakespeare, agency is only a privilege of the leading character ("as flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods" says supporting player, Gloucester in Lear). Oedipus is similarly just collateral damage in other people's drama: Apollo's vendetta against Laius.

But this horrific story still resonates because all of us can be collateral damage. Every day on the news, whole families are horrifyingly killed because they live next door to someone targeted for death, or we could simply just get run over on the street. We don't always control our fates, and like for the Greeks, there is disillusioning humility, clarity and power in contemplating this through storytelling.

Icke's genius is that he makes Oedipus the ultimate liberal trying to fix society. Like Obama, his birth certificate is challenged by fear mongering xenophobes, and like Obama, Oedipus resolves to resist "fear beats hope" politics.

Icke's Oedipus isn't just hopeful, he's truthful, and resolves to investigate himself.

Icke's Oedipus believes in tolerance and the speech Icke gives to Strong about Oedipus's love and understanding for his son, Polynices, is heartfelt liberalism at its most compassionate and appealing.

Icke's Oedipus embodies the philosophy of the Beatles and now: "Love is the only thing that matters in the end," he says in Strong's softest yet most authoritative tone.

June Watson's Merope speaks in wonder of her son's legendary "emotional intelligence."

And then Icke takes this loveable, good-natured, caring father and all round decent liberal man and lets the ancient Greek noose ensnare him in such a terrifying and inexorable way, against a ticking clock, that you get a sinister tingling that maybe everything we believe in just might be a house of cards after all. Maybe there is some supernatural power controlling our fates, even if it isn't the alienating Apollo who Icke sensibly cuts from the text, and maybe our best hopes won't be enough to save us. It's chilling theatre.

This production is devastating, and devastatingly acted, to the tune of 5 stars. An Oedipus for our time. I agree with Arifa Akbar for once, and that's as confounding as this unmissable production.

It seems to have sold pretty well so far - and there are no rush tickets or offers to be had (apart from under 30 tickets).

I notice they've even increased prices in light of these reviews.

I am glad I found the post about the front row seats when I did. Went last night and thought this was excellent. I particularly loved Leslie Manville's performance, I always liked her but this was something else. At times she made me forget that she was acting. so natural. Theatre was full and people standing up at the end.

There’s only eight under 30 tickets per show and I was told by the box office staff last week that they’ve mostly gone — the earliest I could get one for was 29th November!

I annoyingly didn't book the under 30s tickets when they went on sale earlier this year and when I went to try and grab one this week there were barely any left at all!

Just spotted this on the website, just as I was about to book for 16 November evening:

At the evening performance on Saturday 9 November, Tuesday 12 November and Saturday 16 November, the role of Jocasta will be played by Celia Nelson.

Nobody should EVER book specifically for an actor - that way lies disappointment.

I understand that. I have huge faith in actors to do the job regardless of fame. But this time I did book for her because she is a favourite on tv and screen but I have not seen her on the stage. 

If a new play, the cast can be indicative of the strength of the work. The cast annoucements for Giant, for example, helped heighten anticipation, and vitually sold out the run. Donmar another, etc.

Fingers crossed.  Disappointment is an occupational hazard of theatregoing, actors being only human.  I've had my share of it - most recently when Harriet Walter couldn't play Bernarda Alba at the performance I booked.  I'd done more than just book, of course; I'd taken a whole day and paid £60+ for a 400-mile round trip on the strength of Walter's renown (well, not just on that - I'd seen her as Linda Loman and thought she'd be perfect for BA).  But what can you do? You can't expect someone to work when they're ill.  It gets a bit more fraught when people double book and leave ticket holders disappointed.  I'd booked ticket, travel and hotel for Lisa Dwan in No's Knife at the Old Vic and was furious when I was informed my performance had been cancelled because she had decided to do filming in Ireland.  Tbf, the Old Vic management were profusely apologetic and gave me a house seat for any production of my choice; but I'll never book to see Dwan again.

I hope you get to see Lesley Manville.  I've seen her four times and she's my absolute favourite actor.  Her performance as Helen Alving is the most magnetic thing I've ever seen on stage.  But even LM wouldn't get me the audience for Robert Icke again!

June watson indisposed

She is an amazing actress and I hope she is okay

But I wonder if she should take a rest

On TodayTix, I just saw £70 front row restricted and £28 back-of-beyond so ... it's something.