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Medea

2019

About Medea

Medea was produced in 431 BC. It has been explored and interpreted by playwrights across the centuries. Medea and the suite of plays that it accompanied in the City Dionysia was not well received at its original performance. The play was re-discovered in 16th-century Europe, from which time it has remained the most frequently performed Greek tragedy through the 20th century.

The play holds the American Tony award record for most wins for the same female lead character, with Judith Anderson winning in 1948, Zoe Caldwell in 1982, and Diana Rigg in 1994.

28th Sep - 5th Oct, 2019

  • The Courthouse Theatre

  • Genre: Drama

  • Playwright: Tom Paulin

  • Director: Megan Riedl

Synopsis

Medea, a foreigner, who deceived her father and killed her brother to helped her husband Jason win the Golden Fleece, now finds herself betrayed by him in favour of a new union with the King’s daughter. But hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Megan J Riedl's modern interpretation of the ancient Greek classic features powerhouse performances by local actors and specially composed live music.

Haunting in its brutality and how it captures the very extreme of human emotions, BNT's Medea explores the dangers a patriarchal view on strong women and the negative impact of parental conflict on children.

About the Director

Megan Riedl

Megan J Riedl is a Ballarat-based arts management professional and independent theatre producer, with a creative practice in performance poetry, playwriting and directing for the stage. With Tripwire Theatre Inc, Megan co-wrote and directed the touring comedy 'Travels with My Black Dog', wrote and directed historical drama 'Hollow' and co-wrote 'The Belly Dancer'.

She has written and directed three short plays for Bendigo Theatre Company’s annual Ten x 10 and directed 'The Sum of Us' (Creswick Theatre Company), and 'Act Like A Girl' (BNT). Megan's poetry has been published in Baby Teeth Journal and included in local projects 'Minerva Speaks', 'Weathering the Future' and 'They Are Us'.

A regular performer at Words Out Loud Ballarat, Megan will be competing in the state finals of the 2019 Australian Poetry Slam in October.

About the Playright

Tom Paulin

Born in Leeds, England in 1949 but brought up in Belfast, he taught English at Nottingham University from 1972-1994.

His many books of poetry range from A State of Justice in 1977, which won the Somerset Maugham Award, to The Wind Dog in 1999, shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.

He also writes non-fiction and plays, including The Riot Act: A Version of Sophocles’ Antigone (1984).

About Euripides

(c. 480 - 406 BC)

Born in Leeds, England in 1949 but brought up in Belfast, he taught English at Nottingham University from 1972-1994.

His many books of poetry range from A State of Justice in 1977, which won the Somerset Maugham Award, to The Wind Dog in 1999, shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.

He also writes non-fiction and plays, including The Riot Act: A Version of Sophocles’ Antigone (1984).

Cast

Rebecca O'Callaghan

Medea

Ruby Penhall

Tutor

John Bolger

Aegus

Gin O'Brien

Nurse

Simon Carroll

Creaon

Zerene Webster

Chorus/Composer

Zara Wilson-Boyle

Chorus/Composer

Tessa Marshall

Chorus/Composer

Jesse Schneider

Child

Benjamin Marhsall

Jason

Sam Drew

Servant

Atticus Benjsson

Child

Media