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The bravery of Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks' adaptation of Medea to put the children at the forefront is commendable. The practicalities of getting strong enough child actors to star is near impossible, on top of the need to get across Euripides' original plot and essentially make two children waiting feel exiting and engaging for one hour and ten minutes. Therefore it is astonishing to find that Sarks' production not only works; it excels in every aspect. The setting both exists in the modern day, with Amy Jane Cook's design transforming the Gate's space into a contemporary boys bedroom, and in the Greek age, with the story of Jason and the Argonauts being recounted which could either be interpreted as a fairytale or a real one. The language is naturalistic and focuses on the children's innocence but also treats Medea with sympathy. Amongst the innocence, however, it also has a social commentary on modern day socialisation. You enter in to a normal boy's bedroom strewn about with Nerf guns, bows and arrows and, throughout the show, Jasper and Leon fence, reenact deaths and attack a toy monkey with a foam baseball bat. These activities are used to demonstrate the socialisation of males towards violence and aggression in a rather unsettling way. This feeling is intensified when it is being carried out by innocent children who still wet themselves and hug their father's blanket. Jasper and Leon were played by Bill Keogh and Samuel Menhinick at the performance I went to and they are wonderful young actors who don't come across as precocious and annoying which child actors occasionally come across as. This is a wonderfully immersive and emotional experience that gets to the crux of Euripide's tragedy.
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The final production of the Ameida's Greek season brings Kate Fleetwood as the vengeful Medea in Rupert Goold's strikingly modern production with Rachel Cusk's reimagining of Euripides' tragedy as the story of the divorce between two successful writers has an unrelentingly feminist message whilst, in the process, discussing the destructive nature of divorce and the emotional damage it can bring to children in the middle of it. The notable thing about this production is the change of ending. If you are coming for horror, blood and gore, you will be disappointed. No screams or any graphic scenes are constructed, with a clinical production and design from Ian Macneil. Any production of Medea hinges on the quality of the titular character and Kate Fleetwood is a worthy Medea. She is angry and vengeful in the role yet also containing love and sanity which earths her and, with a frustrating and annoying chorus of mothers, seems like the most sensible person there. Whilst I'm not totally satisfied with Cusk's adaptation, with an ending which makes little sense and a family whose first world problems are hard to totally sympathise with, yet there are some stimulating issues raised in this adaptation. The supporting cast is strong with Amanda Boxer's mother demonstrating how not only men prevent oppose feminism and Justin Salinger being a husband who, whilst amiable enough, is unsympathetic and is not subtle or caring enough to command the audiences respect which creates a fiery and tense relationship on stage. Whilst some found the chorus annoying, I found it relevant and an interesting translation of the cliques between mothers but with some pathos to be found in some of them, notably Ruth Everett's character. The cleaning lady is a misstep which really just provides a foil to demonstrate how well off and lucky Medea's family is, which diminishes the strength and power of the piece. I can't see this interpretation of Medea being used again but it is a valid and stimulating work that captures both the position of feminism in the modern age very well.
