Wayne McGregor’s double bill Jocasta’s Line premiered at the Norwegian National Ballet, weaving together the ancient tragedies of Oedipus Rex and Antigone. It retraces the story of Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother, Queen Jocasta of Thebes, and has the daughter Antigone with her. The first part features Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex from 1927, while the second part is accompanied by a commissioned work by Samy Moussa for female chorus.
The staging of Oedipus Rex is clearly rooted in modernism. The atmospheric austerity reflects the central themes of fate and suffering. Enclosed in sculptural scenography, the soloists ressemble frozen busts or chess pieces. Even as they step out of confinement, their bodies appear held. Acting as the chorus’s physical counterpart, ...
