Oundle’s Stahl Theatre was host to the world tour debut of Steven Berkoff’s reworking of the ancient play of Oedipus. Performed by Blackeyed Theatre, the play had exhilarating music and excellent drama that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. The play was set in a futuristic Thebes, where the King, Oedipus, played by Matthew Rowlands-Roberts, is a gangster-like Londoner, who is trying to investigate the cause of the outbreak of plague in Thebes. As Oedipus delves further into his investigations, he fills in many pieces of his own memory, which eventually reveals the shocking reality of his existence, as the killer of his father and the husband of his mother.

Rowlands-Roberts dealt a dazzling performance in an East London accent, as he engaged convincingly with the audience and the other characters. Berkoff kept to the Greek tradition of the chorus, who were used to separate the scenes, with musical interludes. Some of the Chorus left the stage and engaged with the audience to provide drama off the stage in an effective and exciting way. The conventions were broken by showing the death of Jocasta on stage as she tied a rope to her neck. This was effective in increasing dramatic tension.

Oedipus is revealed as a very changeable character, capable of great cruelty. The play really encapsulates the essence of his character, someone who tries to help people so much that he forgets to listen, because of his own arrogance and self-importance. Despite his faults, we are left sympathising for Oedipus, who condemns himself into exile and blindness, to atone for his father’s murder. There was a frisson of sexual tension between Oedipus (Rowlands-Roberts) and Jocasta (Alison George), which is disturbing given that in reality Jocasta is Oedipus’ mother. I think everyone in the audience shed a tear as Oedipus appeared on stage, having found Jocasta dead. In blinding himself he admits that he has done wrong, and he says good bye to his children, who are also disturbingly his half-brothers and sisters. This is another great production by the renowned Steven Berkoff, who has adapted many plays.