Showing @ St. George’s West, until 29 Aug @ 10:30am
A different view of divorce forms the basis of Swedish theatre company, Unga Klara and Lung Ha’s revival of Medea’s Children, which shows an acrimonious divorce through the eyes of the children torn between their parents. Performed for the first time in the UK, and directed by Suzanne Osten, this play is a testament to the power of communication, and the inquisitive nature of children.
Hijacking the story of the eponymous priestess, Medea’s Children follows Little Jason (Stephen Tait) and Little Medea (Nicola Tuxworth) as they try to understand their parents’ acerbic divorce and deal with their own feelings of confusion about their new lives. But as their parents battle one another and become further detached from the children, their loneliness threatens to destroy them.
It’s fitting that a play about the importance of communication and inclusion should be performed by Lung Ha’s, who have worked hard to ensure that those people in society who are often overlooked because of a disability, are given the opportunity to showcase their craft and skill. It’s for this reason that Medea’s Children is so poignant; often credited as being one of the most important Swedish plays of the 20th century, it shows the very real effect of divorce on a young family, and more specifically just how badly a lack of explanation can affect the children caught in between the warring parents. Unlike the tale of Medea that has been so expertly woven by Euripides and Seneca, Osten’s production rejects tragedy and focuses on all the emotions that surround divorce and separation to create a moving and positive play for everyone, not just for children. Gentle, uplifting and unafraid to ask difficult questions, Medea’s Children is a shining example of modern theatre, masterfully performed by a talented cast and made more memorable by John Kielty’s rousing songs.
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