The two Oedipodes

Celebrating fifty years of unwavering theatrical presence, Yannis Houvardas translates, adapts, and directs Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus into a unified work on stage. Under the guidance of the seasoned Greek director, an ensemble of distinguished actors and contributors will recount, with the accompaniment of live music, the shattering story of Oedipus, starting from the end and moving backwards to the birth of his tragic fate.

Now blind and in the twilight of his years, Oedipus, together with his close relatives, arrives at ancient Colonus—a place of mystery scattered with sacred burial monuments. There, through divine intervention, they will access the sacred secrets and finally learn the reasons they have undergone such tormented lives. In the course of this transition, the characters, alongside Oedipus, relive the devastating events of “Rex” and witness the hero’s final elevation and ascension to the heavens, as they once again pass through the stages of approaching the divine spirit detailed in Oedipus at Colonus.

Houvardas’ vision is to present these two works—profoundly different in conception and tone while written decades apart—as a single and seamless narrative. His approach honours the essence of Sophocles, the greatest of the tragic poets, while ensuring that each play remains distinctly recognisable within the performance.