Greek

Scottish Opera’s new production of Mark Anthony Turnage and Steven Berkoff’s reworking of the Oedipus story.

Set in Thatcherite England, it becomes a bitter critique placing the plague of Thebes in North London. Under Joe Hill-Gibbin’s direction the singer operated live cameras located in the orchestra pit track the action.

Teddy bears and punked up baby dolls enter the action and blow by blow food fights feature a full Scottish breakfast (probably not anticipated in the original London setting). Freshly prepared blood pudding, hot tea, runny yolks and tinned tomatoes interact with the stage action both in real time and metaphorically. Not for the squeamish traditionalists.

Tabloid headlines shouting about Brexit, May, Johnson, and some fun live-video effects (very live in the case of squirming maggots). - The Guardian

The opera supertitles also become an integrated part of the video design running through the live camera system and keyed into the projected image.

Client:
Scottish Opera

Location:
Edinburgh Festival, Festival Theatre, 2017
Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 2018

Services:
Video & Projection Design
Content Creation

Team:
Video Designer: Dick Straker
Programmer: Dan Trenchard

Production Credits:
Director: Joe Hill-Gibbins
Set Designer: Johannes Schutz
Costume Designer: Alex Lowde
Lighting Designer: Matthew Richardson

Photos:
© Dick Straker