B'way/Off-B'way Review: Oedipus; Archduke

Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in Oedipus.
Credit: Julieta Cervantes

The countdown clock in Hildegard Bechtler’s sterile set for Robert Icke’s explosively dramatic adaptation of Sophocles’ Oedipus was ticking down to the final minutes and I was having trouble breathing. Even though the shattering conclusion of incest and destruction is well known to the civilized world, Icke’s modern version of the classic Greek tragedy is so perfectly paced and infused with such suspense, the tension was palpable. The prideful Oedipus (a dynamic Mark Strong) is about to find out his true identity. The revelation will destroy his burgeoning political career, his family, his very essence, and erase his hubristic pride. The next few moments are a stunning coup de theater in the Broadway season’s most stunning dramatic presentation.

Now at Studio 54, produced in association with Roundabout Theater Company after an Olivier Award-winning run in London, Oedipus is everything theater should be—thought-provoking, emotionally stirring and empathy-evoking. Icke’s adaptation is smart, relevant and eloquently addresses issues afflicting our contemporary body politic. His direction is flawless, skillfully and slowly building the anxiety till the inexorable finale. The placement of that large clock marking the minutes and seconds to the end, and Tom Gibbons’ eerie sound design add to the stress. Strong and Lesley Manville, painstakingly documenting the gradual crumbling of the colossal egos of Oedipus and his wife Jocasta, lead a magnificent cast, each clearly delineating their part in the hero’s downfall and their reactions.  

Mark Strong and Samuel Brewer in Oedipus.
Credit: Julieta Cervantes

Icke whose previous transatlantic triumphs have included a masterful Hamlet and Oresteia as well as an updated version of an obscure Arthur Schnitzler play called The Doctor, has transformed Oedipus from an ancient Greek king into a 2025 progressive political candidate on the cusp of winning an decisive elective victory. We open with a giant video screen (Tal Yarden designed the CNN-style videos) depicting Oedipus’ campaign vows to reform a corrupt government, sounding much like NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and promising to release his birth certificate, recalling Barack Obama.  

The screen raises and we are in campaign headquarters as the election results are pouring in. Oedipus’ mother Merope (stern and mysterious Anne Reid) urgently requests private time with her son. (We all know where that’s headed.) Meanwhile, Oedipus receives ominous warnings from the blind seer Teiresias (intense Samuel Brewer) that he will murder his father and sleep with his mother. As the protagonist attempts to ferret out the meaning of this riddle, we learn this contemporary Oedipus wants to reform the future. Strong makes Oedipus a complex figure. He revels in the hero’s robust ambitions, but also exposes his tender side. Oedipus compassionately accepts a gay son, promises better living conditions for his constituents, and loves his family. But Icke stresses Sophocles’ theme that the past can determine destiny.