Harrowing and tragic, Medea defines brutality in a performance that will leave you speechless
This classic Greek tale, as with many, has a variety of versions and rewrites though perhaps none quite as harrowing as this retelling by Kathy McKean. Based on the original work by Euripdes, McKean’s work delves into the levels of deep intensity within these character’s emotions, accentuated by the talents of theatre company Raw Material. Touring this production in association with Bard In The Botanics, this performance at The Beacon Theatre was an impressive yet brutal watch.
As a Greek tragedy, it goes without saying that Medea will not be the easiest watch for some to digest but despite its harsh, and at times horrific subject matter, the compelling nature of the play makes it fly in for those with a stomach for darker themes. The intense atmosphere of this performance was felt by all as Medea spirals while the life she knows crumbles around her. Her paramour Jason, as in the Jason who sailed on the Argo and claimed the Golden Fleece, abandons her to marry the King of Corinth’s daughter. After going into a rage and threatening Jason and his new wife, King Creon exiles her and she is forced to flee with her children. However, she appeals to Creon who grants her one day before she must leave Corinth. This gives her enough time to plan her revenge.
She plans to take everything away from Jason. Luring him to their former home, she convinces him that he should take the boys so that they can have a better life. She says she will send gifts with them, in order to appease his new bride and wipe any previous slights from her mind. The gifts in question however have quite sinister properties. A cloak and crown made by her grandfather, these items were only supposed to be worn by those of her bloodline. As a descendant of the sun god Helios, Medea would not be harmed but when the princess dons them, her body begins to melt away, killing her and Creon as he attempts to aid her as she dissolves into nothingness. Medea is not through with her vengeance though. To rob him of his legacy, Medea murders her own children. Jason arrives to get them to safety so they will not be harmed for the deaths of the king and his daughter but he is too late. After seeing him broken, defeated and helpless, Medea vanishes, leaving devastation in her wake.
The end result is shocking, no doubt but what makes it even more crushing is the way her relationship to her children is handled throughout the play as well as her psyche in general. She slips further and further away from reason as the story progresses, her emotions ranging from rage at Jason’s treatment of her to pain over the loss of him. We see her feel a sense of isolation as she reckons with the prospect of having to leave this home she built with her family, with no idea where to go and almost no friends to turn to, save the Nurse. Jealousy and envy are apparent as she faces the fact this princess has stolen her life and though originally, she does not believe her to be at fault, we begin to see her turn and head down a dark, treacherous path of revenge. In all of this, she still loves her children but it is stated by the Nurse from the very beginning that she can barely look at them as she sees too much of their father in them. Ultimately, this is foreshadowing of what is to come but her decisions are never framed in a way that make us believe she doesn’t love her children. Even in the moments before her final crime, she talks about running and taking the boys with her. In the end though, she realises it is too late. Whether that be because she knows they will be killed for the deaths of the royal family or because she’s determined to take everything away from Jason at any cost is truly hard to say. Each reason has merit and it could be that either or both are true. In the end though, there is a sickening satisfaction in Medea’s reaction to Jason’s despair that shows us she got what wanted, no matter the cost. The way Nicole Cooper displays the complexity of Medea’s nature and emotions is in a class of its own
Some would look at aspects of her behaviour and defend Medea. While there is justification for her outrage at the circumstances she finds herself in, any notions of her being on the side of righteousness dies with her children. The moment we see her walk back onstage with the blood-soaked knife she used to slit their throats, there’s no amount of grace we can give the character. Which is fine because this is not a heroic story. Yes, we see that without her, Jason would not have succeeded in his famous quests and that she should have got the recognition she deserves but Medea makes it clear to Jason and the audience that he always knew what she was. There are no heroes in this story. Only flawed, broken individuals. It’s what makes it so compelling. Which isn’t to say they don’t make us feel. Isabelle Joss’ screams as the Nurse discovers the bodies make us feel that brutality. Johnny Panchaud beautifully displayed Jason’s heartache as we see him crumpled in a pile on the floor, howling. Alan Steele’s haunted memory of watching the royals melt away was one of the finest moments. We see how he was almost transfixed by it, mesmerised by the horror.
The only true issue with the performance was lack of appropriate accents. While there are moments where Greek is spoken (and in those moments we do hear tonal differences), they are few and far between and the Scottish and English voices were initially jarring to tell the truth. Perhaps if there had been prior warning, it might not have been as much of a problem and ultimately, it doesn’t affect the acting in acting in any way but there are definite hints of a different accent in the few moments that Greek is spoken which does beg the question, why not just make the choice to do that the whole time? It is however a relatively minor thing and doesn’t ruin the performance as a whole.
Overall, Medea was raw and intense. The acting on display was superb and the company did a splendid job with some very complicated material. This is definitely worth a watch for those who enjoy looking at the old myths through a more emotional lens.
This tour’s next stop is the Tron Theatre in Glasgow from Wednesday 25th– Saturday 28th March and closes in Eden Court Theatre in Inverness on Saturday 11th April.