Oedipus at Colonus: #aftersophocles at The Baxter, directed by Mark Fleishman, with Andrew Buckland, Jennie Reznek, Faniswa Yisa

Oedipus at Colonus: #aftersophocles, directed by Mark Fleishman - the first in an exciting season of tragic reimaginings - premieres at the Baxter Flipside, from 3 to 18 February 2023, at 7.30pm with Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

Presented by The Baxter, in collaboration with Magnet Theatre, the production forms part of the Reimagining Tragedy in Africa and the Global South research project (ReTAGS), funded by the Andrew W. Melon Foundation, in the Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies at the University of Cape Town. It follows on from their huge success of Antigone (not quite/quiet), which played to great acclaim at The Baxter, in 2019.?

Here, Andrew Buckland joins Jennie Reznek (Creon) and Faniswa Yisa (Theseus) as Oedipus wanting to be buried in the land. Occupying that same space is a chorus of homeless occupiers who unwillingly become entangled in Oedipus’ story. Played by graduates of the Magnet Theatre Fulltime Training and Job Creation Programme who make up the Magnet Theatre Youth Company, this chorus is a powerhouse of new talent. They tell their stories through the body, text and a sonic landscape that haunts.?

As can be expected in all Magnet Theatre productions, there is strong evocative physical imagery, a surprising staging and now a compelling poetic text in English and isiXhosa (with surtitles), written by award-winner, Qondiswa James, one of the most interesting new writers on the South African theatre scene.?Booking is through Webtickets online at webtickets.co.za/baxtertheatre or at Pick n Pay stores. For block and schools’ bookings or fundraisers, contact Leon van Zyl on [email protected] or Carmen Kearns on [email protected].