Medea

Bit of a joint review this one in that as well as seeing this beautiful production it was my first trip to se NT Live at our local cinema (Odeon, Weston-super-Mare).

Medea is one of the great Greek tragedies. Medea had helped Jason to steal the Golden Fleece and had killed hre brother and arranged her father's death so that she could escape. Medea marries Jason and they have two sons but are now exiles in the Court of Kreon (King of Corinth) . Jason then leaves Medea to marry the King's daughter, in his eyes this is to secure their position but in Medea's this is betrayal of her love and everything she has gone through to be with him. In the end, the only thoughts Medea have are for revenge, arranging the death of his new wife and then slaughtering her two sons so that Jason will have nothing.

Played in an essentially modern production (including selfies on a smartphone) this is still a raw, powerful and moving story as Medea's rage, jealousy and loss rob her of her judegement. Not mad, but beyond reason, the calculation of the effect of killing her sons is a most chilling sequence. Helen McCrory's Medea is a most powerful and credible portrayal which must have exhausted her, physically and mentally, each performance. Well balanced by Danny Sapani's Jason and with Michaela Coel's Nurse providing the background, this is a stunning depiction of the human capacity to justify and perform evil in the name of revenge. The chorus, played by the ladies of Corinth, sends a shiver down the spine. In all a beautifully crafted production by Carrie Cracknell of a very acccessible adaptation by Ben Power.

The NT Live broadcast was pretty good, sound quality was excellent with a full-theatre experience being maintained (odd to hear the audience shuffle when ours was so still!) and all was very clear. It is a three camera broadcast with some tracking and I miss the chance that real theatre gives of watching off-line performances and gettting the broader feel of a production (sometimes a character is upstage to appear distant and alone, not a good time to zoom in!). Apart from that, this was a really great way to see the show and I look forward to seeing more live broadcasts in future. It is well worth getting in a bit early, unlike most cinema films, the pre-show is worth watching with introductions to the production and details of forthcoming broadcasts.

As to the cinema trip? Well, apart from the lack of decent soundproofing that meant I could hear other screens this was a pretty enjoyable experience. Purchasing premium (comfy) seats came in at £12.50 each and the audience were better behaved than either London theatre audiences or usal local cinema audiences. Add to that some pick and mix and I was pretty happy. Next time I'll see something with an interval and experience how that goes.