OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  Brendan Kennelly 

• Adapted / Translated From

  Euripides

• Author Notes

  A version and translation from Euripides

• Synopsis

  Medea, a barbarian witch, betrays her family to help her lover Jason win the Golden Fleece. She finds him courting another woman, the daughter of King Creon of Corinth. After failing to persuade Jason to return to her, she decides to kill her rival with a gift of poisoned clothing. She also decides to kill her children. King Aegeus of Athens stumbles along in search of a cure for his childlessness. He agrees to grant her asylum should she need it. She escapes from Jason at the end of the play on a dragon-drawn chariot given to her by her grandfather Helius, the sun god.

• Play Type

  Adaptation/Translation
  

  Number Of Acts

  Full-Length

Cast size

• Male

  7

• Female

  3

• Total

  10

• Cast Notes

  Two child actors also performed in the original production.

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  05 October 1988

• Production Notes

  Produced by Medea Productions

• Venue Notes

  First performed at the Royal Dublin Society (Concert Hall).

Source Of Information

The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme and from the 1988 Dublin Theatre Festival programme..