Oresteia, Trafalgar Studios *****

It was with great surprise and delight that I found out that Icke's acclaimed production was getting a West End transfer. I had no idea what it was about when I saw it at the Almeida so each twist of the plot seemed truly remarkable.  Getting to look back at this production is good, therefore, to be able to see the production with some knowledge of the plot was enlightening. The story of Electra makes more sense the second time around whilst you could see the proleptic irony in the first family dinner. I also forgot how shocking it is, much more so than 1984. The feminist spin at the end didn't feel forced and Oliver Ryan is just as creepy as Calchas whilst the original cast are just as spellbinding here as at the Almeida. I can't think of a production that I could have wished a West End run on more as this is an impressive and important piece of theatre that as many people as possible need to see.

My original blog post is here: http://britainstheatre.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/oresteia-almeida-theatre_28.html