Oresteia, Almeida Theatre *****

You have intense and then you have this. Icke's interpretation of Aeschylus's tragedy is so tense, I almost walked out. I have never seen any Greek drama which has had a real effect on me. I was underwhelmed by Binoche's Antigone and whilst I admired Kristin Scott Thomas' Electra, I didn't particularly feel anything about her situation. In this adaptation, you are shown every angle, from feeling sympathy for Williams' Klytemnestra to fearing her to the pain felt by Electra, perfectly portrayed by stage newcomer Jessica Brown Findlay who captures the pain as well as Scott Thomas yet, by showing her happy in the first act, the emotion is felt stronger (even though I don't think she ever existed!!). The traditional story is told through flashback through Orestes, who is played by Luke Thompson and who I think can have a more intense effect in the indoor space than at the Globe, who is telling this story to Lorna Brown's character, who remains ambiguous until the end. This family drama is set up well by Icke who creates a typical family atmosphere, hereby creating characters who you can feel for. The family dynamic at a glance seems normal; the odd family row but nothing major. This means that the dilemma that Agamemnon faces, here played in a statesmanlike fashion by Angus Wright, is made even more horrifying. It also makes the grief felt by Klytemnestra even more real. The use of song also helps this production gain traction, with the well known hit 'God Only Knows' being used for an eerie and haunting purpose. The moral dilemma asked to Agamemnon poses to the audience the same question, often asked in the RS classroom but here made all too real. They are the questions of how to measure and compare people's suffering and that of justice and equality. This family drama cum crime thriller cum horror extravaganza is made slick and efficient by Icke's decision to cut the chorus which, whilst usually would seem strange, here it works to create a bare, isolated stage which mirrors the feelings of the characters on the stage. This is helped by the cold, empty space designed by Hildegard Bechtler that encorporates the history of the text whilst encorporating video (which is designed excellently by Tim Reid) on sliding panels, along with modern costume to make this piece relatable instead of stuck in time. This is a landmark production of a greek play and, as well as maintaining the good form the Almeida has had over the past few years, has redefined how to stage a classic. It is pure class.