Facing Medea

Facing Medea
By François Cervantes. Directed by Jenny Kemp. Melbourne Fringe, La Mama Courthouse, 49 Drummond Street, Carlton. 25 September - 6 October, 2019.

François Cervantes takes a very lateral approach to this myth and explores the reaction of three women who are trying to make sense of the atrocities committed by Medea. The set design creates a great sense of a story unfolding on a blank page. The stark white background made of up what looks like large scrolls of paper is a fantastic backdrop for this gruesome narrative.

The three performers Iris Gaillard, Annie Sofia Thorold, Carmelina Di Guglielmo ruminate and meditate on the strong emotions that motivate Medea’s horrific actions. Their narration emanates from their position as witnesses of the episode in which Medea drags her murdered sons and sets them on the steps of a church. The narrators provide a backstory to this event which serves as a profile of Medea’s psyche. This does not operate to justify the brutality of her actions but seeks to take the audience into the mind of this iconic representation of powerful femininity.

Their responses are varied but always questioning, always wondering what could explain the extreme decisions she makes as a scorned woman. The performers manage the very heavy and intense text extremely well, often breathing magnificence into the imagery they conjure. However, the emphasis on narration and voice is unrelenting and the highly stylised set seems somewhat disconnected to the studied mode of delivery and the naturalistic style of performance. 

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: David Burrows

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