Oedipus at Studio 54

“… this gasp inducing tale of truth and lies sets the stage on fire.” – The Guardian

“Election night. The polls predict a landslide victory. Everything is about to change.” But change… how? What happens when arrogance and politics coincide, the stakes are higher than ever, and when not just one man’s reputation, but that of an entire country is at risk? What happens when truth and lies meet head-on, when dark secrets come to light, and when coincidence, fate, and prophecies become a dangerous undercurrent?

This season the sold-out, explosive, and Olivier Award-winning political sensation that took the West End by storm is coming to North American shores, and this is the single event of the season you simply can’t afford to miss out on! The millennia-old Sophocles tragedy is brought into the modern era – bringing all the secrets of the past with it in a theatrical experience oozing with relevance, tension, and caution – a transformed and superb moral reckoning unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before! 

That’s right, New York, Robert Icke’s startlingly fresh take on the ancient Greek tragedy, Oedipus, is coming to Studio 54! 

Oedipus Tickets

“There will not be a more powerful production this year.” – The Observer

SYNOPSIS

“Vengeance will be taken on the killer, then the land will be clean. The contamination will be washed away. The rains will come and the people will be healed.”

Based on Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, Robert Icke’s Oedipus follows the tale of the arrogant, self-righteous, and upstanding Oedipus, a politician who is about to win an election by a landslide. Upon being questioned by an opponent, he promises to reveal the truth about his heritage and birth. This leads to a political investigation regarding the death of the previous king, exposing more than what anyone has bargained for. 

A couple, who find themselves on the political forefront and seems fairly normal, is doomed by their love and their dark secrets; a family who lives in the spotlight has to deal with family drama that threatens to tear them apart; profound reflections, the darker aspects of the human condition and the secrets it keeps, prophecies, and thoughts about life, death, and sex form undercurrents that threatens to turn into maelstroms that will consume and destroy – Robert Icke’s Oedipus is bold, fearless, thrilling, and gripping beyond belief. 

“Icke’s modern retelling is riveting from beginning to end.” – The Guardian

CREATIVE TEAM

Award-winning English playwright and director Robert Icke (The Doctor, Oresteia, Mary Stuart, 1984), especially known and adored for his reworkings of classic texts has breathed new life into Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex – a modern retelling of a tale now more relevant than ever, with the names of the original characters. Oedipus is riveting from the get-go, with every scene stronger than the last. Alongside a fantastic creative team featuring the talents of scenic designer Hildegard Bechtler, costume designer Wojciech Dziedzic, lighting designer Natasha Chivers, sound designer Tom Gibbons, and video designer Tal Yarden, Robert Icke has created a production that peels away the layers until only the visceral truth remains – a production that stirs, shocks, thrills, and will have you on the edge of your seat! 

“It’s powerfully created, expertly delivered, and dynamic and heartbreaking in its combustible, fatal, internal destruction.” – Front Mezz Junkies

CAST

Oedipus is, in a word, pure star-power. With formidable leading actors, alongside a stellar ensemble, Oedipus ticks all the boxes and then some. Audiences can look forward to experiencing the talents of Mark Strong as Oedipus, Lesley Manville as Jocasta, Anne Reid as Merope, John Carroll Lynch as Creon, Teagle F. Bougere as Driver, Samuel Brewer as Teiresias, Ani Mesa-Perez as Lichas, Bhasker Patel as Corin, Olivia Reis as Antigone, Jordan Scowen as Eteocles, and James Wilbraham as Polyneices, among others. 

“It’s impossible to look away, even for a moment.” – Independent

HISTORY & LEGACY

Oedipus Rex was one of the three Theban plays of ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles that survived. It is estimated that the play was first performed around 429 BC. Now, nearly 2,500 years later, Robert Icke’s Oedipus rings true and hits home as hard as it did back then. The production opened in 2024 on the West End at Wyndham’s Theatre to off-the-charts reviews and to date, received a Critics’ Circle Theatre Award. 

It is most certain that Oedipus’ Broadway run, opening soon, will follow in its West End predecessor’s footsteps. 

“This production imagines Oedipus (Mark Strong) as a contemporary politician – and achieves a level of catharsis rare for any production of an ancient text.” – New Statesman

STUDIO 54

If there’s a venue that ticks all the boxes for the ultimate theatrical experience – it’s Studio 54. Nestled safely in the hustle and bustle of the heart of the City That Never Sleeps, Studio 54 is one of the nation’s favorites when it comes to all things on- and off-Broadway. The venue boasts state-of-the-art sound and lighting, fantastic amenities, superb acoustics, and comfortable seats for over 1,000 patrons spread across an orchestra floor and mezzanine to ensure those perfect sight-lines – so at Studio 54, every seat is a terrific seat! 

“The progress of Robert Icke’s devastating modern-day version of Oedipus is from ceaseless noise to stunned silence.” – What’s On Stage