Wayne McGregor
Jocasta’s
Line
An ill-fated bloodline
The pioneering choreographer Sir Wayne McGregor unites classical tragedy, contemporary ballet and modern music in a grand theatrical installation – a world premiere in which the Norwegian National Ballet joins forces with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus.
Mythological and magnificent
It is an event in itself when the renowned choreographer and director Sir Wayne McGregor is premiering a new work at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet. When his brand-new major production takes to the Main Stage, it requires the full efforts of the Norwegian National Ballet, the Norwegian National Opera and the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra.
Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in McGregor's Jocasta's Line offers powerful performances
Bachtrack, Maggie Foyer
Jocasta's Line intertwines two Greek tragedies: Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Samy Moussa has composed music for Antigone, while Oedipus Rex will be set to Igor Stravinsky's original score from 1927.
Who is Jocasta?
In Greek mythology, Jocasta is the daughter of Menoeceus and queen of Thebes in ancient Greece. When she unwittingly marries the man who turns out to be her son Oedipus, an irreversible misfortune is passed on to the next generation.
Wayne McGregor brings a poignant, modern language of movement to the classic tragedies of Jocasta, Oedipus and their daughter Antigone. This is storytelling – not as a linear narrative from A to Z, but as a scenic experience in which the singers and dancers reveal their own versions of the truth.
Powerful with male and female choruses
In Oedipus Rex (1927), Stravinsky's monumental opera-oratorio in Latin, the ancient city of Thebes is plagued by disease. The only way to end the suffering is to find and punish the person who murdered the former king.
The ever-glorious Sarah Connolly as Jocasta is utterly imperious.
Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian
Under pressure from his desperate subjects, King Oedipus sets out to find the killer. Soon he discovers the horrifying truth: he is guilty of the murder himself and is also married to his own mother.
While Stravinsky's oratorio assigns a key role to the men’s chorus, Canadian composer Samy Moussa favours the women’s chorus in his new composition. His Antigone, sung in ancient Greek, centres on the tragedy of Oedipus' daughter.
Timeless themes in a modern light
With his unique style and collaborations with artists from different fields, Sir Wayne McGregor has pushed the boundaries of contemporary dance and taken it to new heights.
‘The incredible austerity, the unsettling beauty and the explosive energy of Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex open up for interpretation through dance,’ says the world-renowned choreographer and director – who has won many prestigious awards for his work.
‘By combining this piece with Samy Moussa's new Antigone for orchestra and female chorus, we are setting a new creative course of inspiration and innovation,’ McGregor adds – ‘a space between the familiar and the unfamiliar, between storytelling and experience, where timeless themes are presented in a modern light.’
Activating the Imagination
Stravinsky’s masterpiece features a narrator who explains to the audience what they are about to see. In McGregor’s version, he does this in English.
“It’s as if the imagination is activated in advance,” McGregor explains. “But when you then see what unfolds and hear the next part sung in Latin, it creates a certain distance from the action. That makes you listen to the music differently.”
To ensure we can focus all our attention on what happens on stage, Oedipus Rex and Antigone are not subtitled in this production – except for the English-speaking Narrator.
Read english translations- There will be some use of stage smoke during the performance.
- Jocasta’s Line is a part of Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival.
- Jocasta’s Line is a Co-Production and Co-Commission of Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, Oslo and Dutch National Opera and Ballet, Amsterdam. Antigone: Co-commission with Festival de Lanaudière, Canada.
- The performance is not subtitled, except for the Narrator in Oedipus Rex.
Artistic team and cast
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Choreography and directionWayne McGregor
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Music, part 1Igor Stravinsky
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Music, part 2Samy Moussa
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Libretto, part 1Jean Cocteau
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Libretto, part 2Samy Moussa
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Set and costume designVicki Mortimer
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Lighting designLucy Carter
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Video designAkhila Krishnan
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ConductorKoen Kessels, Charlotte Politi
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ParticipantsNorwegian National Ballet, Norwegian National Opera, the Opera Chorus, the Opera Orchestra
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The Narrator in Oedipus RexBen Whishaw | Underscore: Zoviet France: In Version
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Kong Ødipus
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Jokaste
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Kreon
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Tiresias
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Budbringeren
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Hyrden
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Nasjonalballetten
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Nasjonalballetten
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Biografier
Koreografi og regi Wayne McGregor
Musikk Igor Stravinsky, Samy Moussa
Scenografi og kostymedesign Vicki Mortimer
Lysdesign Lucy Carter
Videodesign Akhila Krishnan
Musikalsk ledelse Koen Kessels, Charlotte Politi
Press photos
Downloadable Press Photos
Photo: Erik Berg, The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet
Photos must be credited as indicated in the file name.
Intermission refreshments
Photo: Fursetgruppen
Hvordan forberede deg til forestilling
Photo: Erik Berg