Monday 13 October 2014

Electra - The Old Vic

I couldn’t quite determine if what I considered the low energy in parts of this piece should be attributed to the way it was directed or the customary poise and coolness that Kristin Scott Thomas exudes in all the roles I’ve seen her in to date. Still, looking frail and gaunt, she does a tremendous job of portraying Electra, a daughter who is so consumed by sheer wrath over the murder of her father that she resolves to kill her mother in revenge. Her sister’s character, Chrysothemis (played by Liz White) is more subtle yet in my opinion, more intriguing.
All the action takes place besides a solitary tree in the dusty court yard of the palace where her mother now resides with Aegisthus, her lover who assisted in the killing of Electra’s father.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Aegisthus (her mother’s lover) before his quick demise…but the focus of this play is very much on the females.

Electra can be seen at The Old Vic until 20th December 

No comments:

Post a Comment