Oedipus Rex, Scottish Opera, Edinburgh International Festival 2024 review - beautifully uncomplex

Immersive opera such as this can be tricky to pull off, but the magic of Roxana Haines’s new production of Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex lies in its simplicity, letting the material organically weave around the audience without overcomplications or deliberately clever trickery.

The National Museum of Scotland proved itself to be a fine venue for this performance in many ways. Its vast expanse of space allowed for much milling around the orchestra, which was in the centre, and the first floor balcony provided an elevated platform for those who’d prefer a birds’ eye view and not to be right in amongst the action. I’d been told the best vantage point was upstairs. By the time I tried to ascend, though, I was instructed by staff that the gallery was at capacity! Fortunately my tardiness proved serendipitous, as being in almost touching distance of the orchestra and having the chorus – a 100+ strong group of members of Scottish Opera's professional chorus singers and community chorus members from across Scotland – swirl around me was a truly memorable experience. (And no hard feelings to the tenor who accidentally stepped on my toes!). On a deeper level, in a museum you’re acutely aware that you are surrounded by, for want of a better term, old stuff. And this tangibility of the ancient gives a perfect backdrop for one of the oldest stories of all time: the Oedipus Myth (pictured above, Roland Wood as Creon and Kutty Whately as Jocasta).

A quick recap if it was a long time since your Classics classes. As a baby born to the King and Queen of Thebes, Oedipus is taken to a local fortune teller, who tells his aghast parents he will grow up to murder his father and sleep with his mother. To mitigate this risk, the royal couple give their baby up, and he’s adopted by the King and Queen of Corinth. Years later, in a fit of ancient Greek road rage the adult Oedipus kills a traveller on the road who just so happens to be the Theban king, before arriving in Thebes where the beautiful, widowed Queen Jocasta is in need of a new husband. Tenor Shengzhi Ren was commanding in the role of Oedipus, showing the character’s dual nature as a proud yet vulnerable man. Kitty Whately gave a haunting performance as Jocasta, her richly hued mezzo giving gravitas to the queen’s realisation of the tragedy unfolding before her. The stand out star of the cast though was actor Wendy Seager (pictured above) in the role of the speaker, who narrated the tale with both an air of ancient wisdom and subtle humour. Dressed as a cleaner, she sailed around the space with her trolley, bucket and mop, subtly demonstrating the observational savant of one in a role of quiet service.

This was a promenade production that was given the proper space to breathe, while still being an immersive experience for both audience and performers. The orchestra as the main focal point gave adequate weight to the music’s role in this particular telling of the tale, while the characters’ shifting and switching of positions highlighted the different perspectives with which one can look upon this ancient myth. 

• Oedipus Rex at the National Museum of Scotland until 19 August
• More opera reviews on theartsdesk