PRODUCT MEDEA 4.0                           COCK TAVERN THEATRE

Medea.4.0 at the Cock Tavern Theatre, Kilburn is a modern marketing take on the classic Greek myth that engages from beginning to end.

Slovenian playwright Sasa Rakef gives the legend a 21^st Century angle by placing it in the corporate world, and spinning Medea’s tragedy for mass entertainment and maximum financial return. With an aggressiveness that would shame even Alan Sugar’s apprentices Medea. Inc uses ‘emotion design technology’ to sell their product.

The main character enters the stage ready to tell her story as an Eva Peron persona, but is stripped of her clothes, jewelry and dignity by Medea.Inc, in order to repackage her. The company conveniently rebrand her long held reputation as a monstrous child killer and makes her a victim who had no choice. We as the audience become investors of this new product, and are also able to buy Medea memorabilia at auction. Believing she has found her Max Clifford with Medea.Inc, she becomes complicit with her new image exploitation.

This brilliantly written and thought provoking play makes some spot-on and cynical observations of product advertising and media manipulation. Medea’s ancient tale could just as easily be replaced today by the late Jade Goody’s, as her demise has probably sold more media copy recently than any other. The message is sell the story, celebrity or brand however dubious the ethics.

The production is tightly directed by Maja Milatovic-Ovadia, and is supported by Verana Meneses imaginative choreography. James Palmer’s original score is highly effective and perfectly compliments the action on stage.

The cast work well as an ensemble, and there are notable performances by Victoria Grove and Konstantinos Kavakiotis as part of the selling team. Nikki Squire as Medea displays strong emotions, although sometimes there is a tendency to make her classic speeches extremely staccato and drawn out.

Product Medea.4.0 has all the best components of theatre. Along with the drama of hard sell and the pathos of it’s central character, there are also some very funny lines. This is probably the best hour of theatre you can invest in all week.

OLIVER VALENTINE                                          08444771000             www.cocktaverntheatre.com