Medea, Written In Rage by Jean Rene Lemoine - Arts By The Sea Festival

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Medea returns from history. This time, she's telling her side of the story…

The stage is set for a gig - a microphone, a bank of speakers, and smoke hanging in the air. A figure in an extraordinary gown emerges from the shadows.

This is Medea - returned from history to tell us her version of events. This startling, contemporary reimagining of the ancient Greek legend of passion and revenge casts Medea as the ultimate outsider, a stranger filled with rage in a foreign land. Her monologue transports us from ancient Greece to modern Europe and back again in a provocative, blood-soaked collage of performance, opera, and sexual confession.

The performer, dancer, and vocalist, François Testory fuses his extraordinary physicality, and androgynous and unique stage presence with a seven-octave vocal range to bring to life the murderous Medea in this evocative lament, featuring live music by acclaimed composer and music producer, Phil Von.  

François has performed with some of Europe’s most innovative companies, including Lindsay Kemp, DV8, Rambert Dance Company, Punch Drunk, and Gecko. Neil Bartlett is one of the UK’s most celebrated directors and authors. Formerly Artistic Director the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, his most recent work includes Stella (LIFT, Brighton Festival, Holland Festival 2016) and the Britten Canticles (Aldeburgh, Brighton, Royal Opera house, 2015).