Medea: A Tragedy Filled with Revenge, Shock, and Heartbreak

Monday (9/8/14) marked the opening of the 2014~2015 NT Live season and NT Live certainly kicked things off with a bang. That evening, my mother and I watched a modern production of the infamous Greek tragedy, “Medea.” Words cannot truly convey how phenomenal this production of “Medea” was and I was left speechless.

Here’s a bit of background on the play (taken from Wikipedia): Medea is an ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the barbarian protagonist and she finds her position in the Greek world threatened and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason, who has betrayed her for another woman. For those who may not know or recall, the Jason that I speak of is the Jason who sought out the Golden Fleece.

Going into this production, I knew that it was a revenge play, but nothing could prepare me for what I was about to witness. William Congreve was really spot on when he wrote, “Nor hell a fury, like a woman scorn’d.” There is revenge and then there is revenge MEDEA STYLE.

Without revealing too many details, I will say that Medea tackles the issues of female independence, heartbreak, betrayal, selfishness, motherhood, and of course…REVENGE. Medea and Jason are outsiders in Corinth and they are struggling to survive. The situation is worse for Medea, who in the process of helping Jason recover the Golden Fleece, has betrayed her family, murdered her own brother, and is now considered a traitor in her own land --- she can never return home.  To make matters worse, Jason, the man she has literally given up everything for, abandons her and their two sons for another woman! You can imagine Medea’s despair and for his actions, Medea seeks revenge like no other…

Jason (Danny Sapani) poses with his boys as Medea (Helen McCrory) snaps the picture

Normally, I’m not a fan of modern productions, but this interpretation of “Medea” wasn’t bad. Honestly, I think I was so enthralled by the acting and the plot that I didn’t even think about the modern setting and costumes.  If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that the setting seemed somewhat 1960s-ish, but don’t quote me on that.

For me, it was all about the acting, specifically Helen McCrory, who played Medea. I’ve known Helen McCrory for years, but I always thought of her as “Mrs. Damian Lewis”, since she is married to my favorite British actor, Damian Lewis. I’ve seen McCrory here and there is bit roles (Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films or Cherie Blair in The Queen), but this was my first time seeing her front and center, as the lead. I was blown away. Wow, I did not realize how much of a phenomenal actress she is!

Helen McCrory and Damian Lewis

Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy

From the moment she stepped on stage, McCrory had me hooked. I cried with Medea, I raged with Medea, and my heart broke for Medea. McCrory really captured the essence and emotions of this tragic character and she made you believe that she was Medea. The rawness, vulnerability, wickedness, and humanity of McCrory’s performance was stupefying. She had me at the edge of my seat, holding my breath during the whole performances. From start to finish, McCrory’s Medea was like a whirlwind of emotion that you could not escape.

My praise for the acting is not limited to McCrory, but extends to the whole cast. Danny Sapani, who played Jason, was just as powerful as McCrory. When McCrory and Sapani interacted together on stage, it was like watching two major forces at war --- you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

McCrory and Sapani in rehearsals

My only real criticism of this production was the choreography. I can’t quite explain it, but I can definitely say that it was weird. Perhaps I am not artistic enough or sophisticated enough to understand the choreographer’s vision, but I was left scratching my head. I felt that the choreography was either very stop-and-go, spasm-like, or just didn’t match the music…

Aside from the choreography, I was absolutely blown away by Ben Power’s adaptation of “Medea.” It was very dark and macabre, but so brilliantly executed. Powers fearlessly explores a spectrum of human emotion, including: love, hate, revenge, despair, and much more. This exploration into the psyche of a woman and mother’s despair is fascinating, and is still relevant today, in my opinion, This modern-day telling of “Medea” is truly a force to be reckoned with. The last time I saw a play that gripped my emotions and had me at the edge of my seat was when I saw “Titus Andronicus.”

Although “Medea” was not nearly as violent at “Titus Andronicus”, both tragedies explore the themes of familial obligation and revenge. Both stories draw you in and you can’t help but ride the turbulent rollercoaster of dark human emotions.

Although Medea is arguably a despicable character, due to the way in which she avenges herself against Jason, McCrory’s brilliant portrayal forces the audience to question whether to sympathize or chastise Medea. One the one hand, Medea commits unfathomable and indescribable acts against those who have wronged her, and her actions are unforgiveable. On the other hand, at her core, Medea is a desperate woman who has been deeply wronged by her husband and has lost everything. Like a wounded beast, she is trying to protect herself, but the question is: does she choose the right way to do it or rather, can we excuse her actions and sympathize with her despair?

It is such a shame that my father was unable to join us, but hopefully this performance of “Medea” will be released on DVD and he can watch at a later date.  If you ever have the opportunity to see “Medea”, especially this production with Helen McCrory, I highly recommend that you do. Be warned: this show is not for the weak of heart.

Note: I do not own any of the images. They are all from Google.