A Greek king stalks the West End

Oedipus
Wyndham’s Theatre, London, until January 4

A serious theatre impresario told me only two kinds of shows stand any chance of making money in the West End these days and those are musicals and comedies. I admire therefore the courage of Sonia Friedman and her backers in staging Robert Icke’s defiantly cerebral straight play Oedipus.

Predictably, the first night audience looked like they were delegates to a headteachers’ conference: one could almost smell the chalk dust on some of the jackets. It will be interesting to see if this is a big or wealthy enough demographic to keep Wyndham’s Theatre sufficiently full for the rest of this play’s run. In all honesty, I have my doubts.

As theatre, I can’t, however, fault this production which is a highly intelligent – even seditious – reimagining of Sophocles’ original that has Mark Strong in the title role looking like a startlingly familiar modern politician. He does and says everything necessary to get elected, but those around him wonder if things are really going to change under him and if he isn’t a part of a system that has been totally corrupted.

There is a great chemistry between Strong and Lesley Manville as his wife Jocasta and their physical attraction to each other is made abundantly clear. As the evening progresses and their roles become more complicated, that of course turns what had seemed at first a light political comedy into a darker, harrowing affair.

Michael Gould is on good form as a sinister and enigmatic Creon and June Watson as ever shines as the old matriarch Merope. Watson is one of our most under-rated actresses: a wonderful stage presence with an ability to get every ounce of value out of every line she utters.

On the subject of getting people back into theatres, I’d recommend, by the way, a redesign of the ghastly cramped uncomfortable seats at venues like Wyndham’s.