“A triumph of emotional conviction..lending great authenticity is the haunting chorus which sings its spine chilling links in ancient Greek..this is a piece of minimalist theatre at its very best.”
The Herald


Brutal. Fierce. Passionate. Extreme.


Medea, the mother of all revenge tragedies ...
After betraying her father to help her one great passion Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece, Medea leaves her homeland to be with him. Living with Jason as a refugee whilst he glories in a hero's status, this proud granddaughter of the Sun god bears her lover two children.

The story of Euripides’ Medea begins with Medea’s outrage on discovering that Jason is to marry the daughter of the King. He believes his decision is for the good of the family, but such pragmatism only serves to intensify her rage.

Having publicly cursed the royal family, Medea faces banishment, leaving her just one day to wreak bloody retribution. Her shocking revenge shakes the man and the society that rejected her, culminating in the brutal murder of innocents.

The powerful hold the Medea myth has exerted on our imaginations for nearly three millennia is reinforced by this incendiary, new interpretation. Riveting text, startling visuals, sharp choreography and an original music score all confirm Company:Collisions' commitment to vivid story telling in this arresting new production.

Points of Interest

  • Work on Medea began in 2002 when Company:Collisions' artistic director Tanushka Marah received one of the Jerwood Young Director Awards at The Young Vic.
  • She was given the opportunity to work on this classic text for five weeks with financial, managerial and artistic support of the Young Vic and Jerwood Foundation. She also received extensive advice from mentor Polly Teale (Shared Experience).
  • The cast features multi-talented artists who are also present or past artistic directors of their own theatre companies. They are Denise Evans (Medea), formerly Fusion Theatre Company, Kaboodle Productions -actor manager; Duncan Foster (Jason, Creon, Aegeus), writer/ director of “I Will” and a strong female chorus including Luan Blake (Ragroof Theatre), Gina Kawecka (Hussle & Bustle ), Tanushka Marah (Company:Collisions) and Claire Raffertry (Periplumtree).
  • The production features stark simple staging, while the rehearsal period included extensive physical work influenced by Kantor and Buto to enhance the emotional intensity of the performance.
  • The audience are wtness to all the scenes which are classically written to occur off stage like the death of the bride and Medea killing her children.
  • Funded by Arts Council England, Brighton and Hove Council and SETA.
  • Original recorded music is composed by Jules Deering for all the company’s work to date and previous winner of the Stockhausen award for music.

“Demanding our unflinching gaze, this beautifully crafted contemporary piece managed to bring the pain of human suffering disturbingly to life.” The Argus

“Bravery..vision...a dynamic performance..infused with a terrific throbbing rhythmic undercurrent..Denise Evans as Medea turned in an exhilarating performance, her sheer commitment to the role lifted the production onto a higher emotional plain.” Southport Visitor

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