Medea is presented by alumni of the National Drama School, and the talent and ability of these graduates is undeniable in a stripped back yet evocative and compelling production.
So much of theatre school is about gaining discipline over your body, your voice, and your breath. The chorus – Ami McElle, Madi Edwards, Jamie Clegg, Jake Mazzoni – wield that discipline skillfully from the play’s first moments. As the lights begin to rise slowly on them, they in turn rise slowly from crouch to standing in absolute unison, that their perfectly synchronised movements feel unsettling.
Later, switching roles goes from taking on a character to near-demonic possession as their bodies contort and shake violently until they are filled with the spirit at hand. Indeed throughout the show, scenes where the chorus move and speak together become something more, something mythic – a fitting quality considering the story.
Written by Euripides, Medea is the second (and only surviving) part of a trilogy of plays. The story focuses on Medea, a former princess and wife of Jason (he of the Argonauts fame). When Jason takes a new bride, Medea seeks the bloodiest of revenge. She kills her and the sons she had with Jason, before escaping to build a new life.
However, while the narrative of this production is the same, this Medea is not Euripides’ Medea. Playwright Roxana Pain Trifan had adapted Medea’s story into a new, vibrant trilogy of plays known as Project M.
Roxana also plays Medea in the show, while the chorus played every other character. Roxana gave a commanding, deeply grounded performance as Medea, her resonant voice filling the space and holding the audience’s attention with a tight grip.
It’s a deceptively difficult task Roxana has undertaken with the role and with what Director Jaime Dörner has asked her to do: There are long passages where only she is talking, moving deliberately – often slowly – around the space.
In lesser hands the vocal delivery would get monotonous, or her movements lose strength, but Roxana tells Medea’s story beautifully and in a committed, compelling way. There is no weakness on display – only rage, vengeance, and determination in the face of the unthinkable.
A crucial element to the storytelling are musicians Nikita Kokurin, Vincent Hack, and Jaz Gonzalez. Often harmonious, at times not – the gorgeous soundtrack they provide is a constant during the piece. A beautiful aspect to Jaime’s direction is how the physicality, the voice, and the music have been woven together – what elements come to the forefront vs what recede and when and how they shift.
This Medea may only run for an hour, but it’s more than enough to acknowledge the exceptional skills being taught by the National Drama School and the exceptional graduates being produced.
Medea
The National Theatre (Studio 2), 20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda
Performance: Thursday 1 October 2026
Season continues to 10 October 2026
Bookings: www.melbournefringe.com.au
For more information, visit: www.nationaltheatre.org.au for details.
Images: Medea (supplied)
Review: June Collins