Hell hath no fury like medEia

The Mail & Guardian called it the best production of the decade. Now, after recent performances in Switzerland (and before it continues on a European tour), medEia will be showing at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town for only four nights.

Written by Dutch playwright Oscar van Woensel and directed by Brett Bailey, the 2005 adaptation of the original myth was hailed as "an anarchic masterpiece" by The Star. "The story tells of the human yearning for freedom and a better life; of love and betrayal, of jealousy and terrible revenge," Bailey said. "We can identify with these emotions and in Greek tragedy they are portrayed on a vast, archetypal scale."

A chorus of spoken word artists

medEia is told by a chorus of spoken word artists, who rap to Frank Paco's percussion beats. (He's drummed for musicians including Bono, Sting, and Queen.) "I always like to knit together several genres and influences," Bailey said. "In this production, I work with a smokey jazz concert ambiance, ritual, spoken word artistry, and drama. The fusion gives this dark tragedy a cool, funky feel."

medEia is showing at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town from 12 to 15 September. Tickets are available from Computicket. For more information on the production company, go to www.thirdworldbunfight.co.za