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Stage and screen performer Lesley Manville is currently treading the boards as Jocasta in Oedipus, a new version of Sophocles’ classic tragedy now playing at Studio 54.
Despite being an Olivier Award-winning veteran of the stage, this production marks Manville’s Broadway debut, and she recently joined The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk all about it— including some dramatic audience reactions. Warning: spoilers ahead for a 2,500 old text.
“You’d think, wouldn’t you, that everyone knew how it ended and what the revelation was,” Manville said, “But the other night, there was a lady sitting behind a friend of Mark Strong’s who plays Oedipus and it got to to the end and the reveal, and she just said, ‘Oh my God, it’s his mother!'”
Despite being an old story, the play has been updated by Robert Icke and is now set on the night of a political election, specifically during the time between the polls closing and the announcement of the new leader. The production previously saw a successful run in London, and Manville told Colbert about some of the differences she has noteiced between UK and American audiences.
“I think the big differences are that they’re very keen on giving you a nice round of applause just for turning up before they’ve even seen you act,” she shared. “And also they are very keen at the end here to get their phones out and take photos of you doing the curtain call,” she said disapprovingly, before adding, “Can something live in our souls?” Watch the full interview with the performer now.
Robert Icke’s new adaptation of Oedipus is now open on Broadway at Studio 54. In this new retelling, Icke transforms Sophocles’ epic tragedy into a human thriller, catapulting the secrets of the past into a high-stakes present.
Oedipus stars Mark Strong – reprising his Olivier-nominated role as ‘Oedipus’ – and Lesley Manville – reprising her Olivier-winning role as ‘Jocasta.’ Also reprising their UK roles are Samuel Brewer as ‘Teiresias,’ Bhasker Patel as ‘Corin,’ Jordan Scowen as ‘Eteocles,’ and James Wilbraham as ‘Polyneices.’ They are joined by John Carroll Lynch as ‘Creon,’ Teagle F. Bougere as ‘Driver,’ Ani Mesa-Perez as ‘Lichas,’ Olivia Reis as ‘Antigone,’ and Anne Reid as ‘Merope,’ with Brian Thomas Abraham, Denise Cormier, Karl Kenzler, and Oliver Rowland-Jones rounding out the cast.
The creative team includes Hildegard Bechtler (Scenic Designer), Wojciech Dziedzic (Costume Designer), Natasha Chivers (Lighting Designer), Tom Gibbons (Sound Designer), and Tal Yarden (Video Designer). Casting is by Julia Horan, CDG and Jim Carnahan, CSA.
Photo Credit: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
