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Oedipus Electronica
Oedipus Electronica
Pleasance Courtyard
by Gareth K Vile
Until 29 August Like Pecho Mama’s previous reworking of Medea, Oedipus Electronica is an ambitious reading of classical myth and Athenian tragedy, aiming for an explicit feminist take on the role of Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife and mother, Using a dramaturgy that is similar to gig theatre, with live musicians and a script that is driven by the soundtrack, it plunges the familiar myth into contemporary society: Jocasta is a writer who fantasises about her lost child, descending into an underworld of drugs, betrayal and violence as she desperately attempts to complete a commission while experiencing an ectopic pregnancy.
The tension at the heart of the production is between Pecho Mama’s taut and urgent dramaturgy and the beats of the Oedipus myth. The patterns of contemporary melodrama mesh uncomfortably, but excitingly, against the echoes of Sophocles’ tragedy, amplifying the emotional intensity of the narrative and setting motherhood at the centre of the drama. Strong ensemble performances, a subtle yet at times bruising soundtrack and imaginative scenography open up the connection between domestic anguish and social dysfunction.
However, the depiction of Oedipus is racially problematic: even the character admits that they are a stereotype, an angry black man who, despite dealing drugs, has the soul of an artist and longs to escape. But recognising the problem is not enough to justify the stereotype, and since this Oedipus is a figment of Jocasta’s imagination, the lack of development poses questions that are not answered. Whether it is a latent racism within Jocasta’s character, or simply lazy writing, this Oedipus is another version of the East End ga gangster who is far too familiar from shows like Top Boy. It is disappointing that a play that does so much to challenge the gender constrictions of the classical myth is so unsophisticated in its depiction of a person of colour. At Paine’s Plough’s Roundabout, Caste-ing by Nouveau Riche exposes the treatment of women of colour in theatre making a case for an inherent problem in the arts, and how stereotyping remains a serious concern. Oedipus Electronica does not do enough to earn the moment of acknowledgement that this Oedipus is undeveloped.
Against this, and a romanticism about the pain of the artist, Oedipus Electronica is bold and bracing: the modernisation of the tragedy, the music theatre dramaturgy and the emotive weight of the examination of motherhood combine towards a dynamic and vigorous production that suggest that while the ancients provide a foundation for contemporary drama, they are energised by critical investigation, and the claims of determinism found in Oedipus Tyrannos hide deeper injustices.
