Set within varied locations around the Bedford Park campus, Flinders University Drama Centre brings to life Medea In Exile. The work is an imagined continuation of Medea’s story, which is traditionally only glimpsed in various plays in Greek mythology.
Students from Flinders Drama Centre’s Bachelor of Performance courses in Acting, Directing, and Theatre Making, have joined together to develop a triptych of performances. This format allows the complexities of Medea’s character to be vividly explored outside of the confines of the classics.
With three different directors and styles, three different Medeas, venues, and a supporting cast that crosses over in various roles, Medea in Exile, written by Tom Holloway and Dr Emma Cole, is certainly an evening to remember.
Part One, directed by Hannah Smith, focuses on Medea’s struggles with the pressure of her surveillance and confinement in Korinth, and further judgment from others as an outcast.
Noella Grace Akimana portrays Medea as strong-willed yet gentle as she wars with herself and others in their perception of her ‘monstrously’ stained hands and presence as a woman.
Akimana displays great dynamics in vocal quality and physicality as she pushes against her husband’s betrayal and the king’s patience. Jaxon O’Neill’s performance as Jason stands out with fantastic emotional range, moving through cutting cynicism to later anguished heartbreak in comparison to Medea’s cold composition.
A supporting Greek chorus assists in moving the story along through unison in speech and movement, creating a sense of unease in and around narration.
Set in the middle of a bare box theatre with audience along opposite sides, the stage served as a blank canvas, with props being pushed around to tell a story. With low lighting and soundscapes, the imagery and movement are cleverly choreographed to highlight meaning in some of the wordier monologues.
Dr Renato Musolino directed the second part of the triptych in the dance studio, involving an immersive semi-circle and balcony levels to invite the audience into Herakles’ house and its surrounds.
Connecting as a sequel to the first part, Sienna Itropico Noble appears as a bedraggled and exhausted Medea seeking asylum from her journey, only to be denied entry by a terrified Woman at the Gate, played powerfully by Anna Fleur Symonds.
Noble’s performance is magnetic as her intensity rises and falls with moments of vulnerability and strength. This part differs from the first largely due to the use of gestures instead of words, and silence as effective punctuation in places of suspense.
The use of the balcony allows the audience to experience the looming presence of Herakles’ house, made more ominous by the beating of war drums and shadowed silhouettes in this intimate experience.
The third part, directed by Kiara Skene, is set surrounding an outdoor courtyard with plastic seating, blankets, and insect repellent. Star Thomas portrays Medea as initially comfortable with her new life in Athens before familiar insecurities begin to creep in and she slips into old habits, much to the detriment of her hard-won relationships.
While momentum is initially slow as it was unclear who was whom to start, Thomas’s performance is captivating as her suspicions begin to overtake Medea’s hard-earned peace.
Karma Dufflied’s Aegeus and Sarah-Jane Smith’s Kalkiope contrast Medea’s frantic suspicion with calm confidence, while ensemble members surrounding and interspersed with the audience round them out as meek stall holders.
As someone who knows of Greek myths, I was able to follow along and make connections between and during each part. For those with no knowledge of those original stories, it may be more difficult to reconcile some of the niche references with these modern representations.
The terrace was an interesting space for theatre, yet one wonders what the contingency plans are should it begin to rain.
All three Medeas hold up their performances with aplomb, and their castmates add colour, light and shade to each part. Connecting each of the sections together, the themes of struggling as a woman in a man’s world and being doomed to repeat mistakes are prevalent. While lengthy in running time, Medea In Exile comprises innovative pieces of theatre that are fiercely engaging from start to finish.
Medea In Exile is presented by the Bachelor of Performance students at Flinders Drama Centre. It runs to 29 November at Flinders University Drama Centre, Rehearsal Room, Humanities Road (free parking at Carpark 5) Bedford Park SA 5042.
Tickets are available here.
Website: https://events.flinders.edu.au/events/medea-in-exile/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/flindersdramacentre/
Images supplied.
