Oedipus Loves You is a new work based on and inspired by the Oedipus the King plays of Seneca and Sophocles and the writings of Sigmund Freud, namely, The dissolution of the Oedipus Complex.

The myth of Oedipus epitomises Greek tragedy: abandoned by his parents as a child, Oedipus unknowingly kills his father Laius and equally unsuspectingly becomes the husband of his own mother Jocasta, with whom he has children, including Antigone. When Oedipus discovers the truth from the blind prophet Teresias, he blinds himself and Jocasta hangs herself.

In an age of postmodern theory and the birth of post dramatic theatre, this project explores notions of aesthetics and meaning between the artist and the viewer using the Oedipus Myth as the common material to experience. In particular, it examines the metaphysical, political and quasi-religious aspects of the Oedipus myth as it has been applied in recent theatre history as a pretence for objectivity and frail opinions on classicism and performance.

The Oedipus Myth is part of our popular culture as well as our European heritage and is still deeply connected to contemporary living and modern day art practices. Its distinctiveness as a ‘super-plot’ for theatrical presentation makes it unique for creating new and real connections for whatever audience it is presented for at any particular time in history. It is like a bible left in a hotel room drawer which changes meaning and context depending on whoever picks it up and exposes it once more to audiences. In this production we try to find the most appropriate format and language to release its powerful energy for contemporary audiences. The ‘finding’ and ultimately the presentation of our ‘style’ in which best to inform and communicate was one of the main goals of this work.

Another aspect to Oedipus Loves You is the exploration of sexual identity and our habit of distancing ourselves with selective amnesia towards any true understanding of each other, mostly for survival rather that out of neglect. In this performance a process of self-identification takes place for the audience and performers. And alternatively the ritual of not being identified may also simultaneously take place where irony is turned in on itself and we discover everything and nothing, which is the true power and necessity of myth and its application as a discourse in situations like performance.

Oedipus Loves You is a performance looking at the historical curiosity of the Oedipus Myth and its relevance for our anxious age and in the situation of Oedipus, an image of our own fears. It is an exploration of the violation of taboos in our society, which we observe almost every day but are unsure of reacting to on the moment of the discovery of truth. The project asks the question, are we still more interested in survival than truth, at this particular juncture of our evolutionary psychological state?

Biographies:

Pan Pan Theatre

Pan Pan was founded in 1991 by director/writer Gavin Quinn and designer Aedín Cosgrove. The company has developed an individual aesthetic that has grown from working in theatre over the last 19 years, exploring new forms, approaches and experiments with time, space, music and performance. Pan Pan also founded and produced five editions of the Dublin International Theatre Symposium, a program of talks, workshops, demonstration performances, and full performances delivered by leading contemporary theatre companies from 14 countries.

Gavin Quinn
Director

Gavin is joint artistic director of Pan Pan. Selected productions include A Bronze Twist of Your Serpent Muscles (winner of Best Overall Production, Dublin Fringe Festival, 1995), Cartoon (1997), Standoffish (Best Production, The Advertiser, Adelaide, 2000), Deflowerfucked (2001), Macbeth 7 (2004), One: Healing with Theatre (nominated for Special Jury Award, Irish Times Theatre Awards, 2005), The Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge (in both Beijing and Dublin, in Mandarin and with a Chinese cast, 2006), The Crumb Trail by Gina Moxley (2009). Opera directing credits include The 4 Note Opera (Tom Johnson, 2000), The Magic Flute (nominated for Best Opera Production, Irish Times Theatre Awards, 2001), Hamelin (Ian Wilson, 2003), The Abduction from the Seraglio (Hackney Empire, London, 2007), and Così Fan Tutti (2007).

Aedín Cosgrove
Designer

Aedín is the co-founder of Pan Pan. Between 1994 and 1996 she enjoyed a close working collaboration with writer Enda Walsh and Director Pat Kiernan, designing all aspects of the original productions of Disco Pigs, Misterman and Sucking Dublin. Cosgrove’s designs for Pan Pan include Macbeth 7 (nominated for Irish Times Theatre Best Lighting Award 2004), One: Healing with Theatre, The Idiots, Playboy of the Western World (Beijing) and The Crumb Trail. Recently, Aedín joined Gavin Kostick, Natasha Lohan and Megan Kennedy to collaborate on A Distinct Glimpse, designed lighting for the Gare St Lazare production Moby Dick, Sarah-Jane Scaife’s Act Without Words II for Dublin Fringe Festival 2009 and Dylan Tighe’s No Worst, There is None at the Dublin Theatre Festival 2009. Aedín also works as a designer for the Crash Ensemble, a contemporary classical and multimedia ensemble.

Performer Biographies:

Annemarie Gaillard

Annemarie attended Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester as a classical singer before moving to London to train with The National Youth Theatre and completed her BA (Hons) Acting at Rose Bruford. Most recently she appeared in The 24 Hour Plays for The Old Vic, London. Other theatre includes Symposium (The Old Vic), Toast (Tristan Bates Theatre), Hush Little Baby (Canal Cafe Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Tapestry Theatre Company) and You Are Here (Dublin Theatre Festival). TV credits include Waking The Dead and Best: His Mother’s Son (BBC).

Bush Moukarzel

Bush has appeared in theatre productions including Oedipus Loves You and The Idiots (Pan Pan), Macbeth (Djanogly Theatre, Nottingham), Pitchfork Disney (Players Theatre), 100 Minutes 2007 (Project Arts Centre), Pilgrims of the Night (Rough Magic Seeds 3, Project Arts Centre) and Extremities (Spark To A Flame Productions). His directing credits include Endgame (Nottingham New Theatre), No Man’s Land (Sweet, Edinburgh), and The Gleaming Dark (Trafalgar Studios, London).

Gina Moxley

Gina is an actor and writer. She most recently appeared in Corcadorca’s production of medEia and Prime Cut’s production of Woman and Scarecrow. With Pan Pan she performed in Dusseldorf and New York in The Crumb Trail, which she also wrote. She toured extensively as Jocasta in their Oedipus Loves You and was part of their One: Healing With Theatre project. She has acted with Rough Magic, Meridian, Tall Tales, The Abbey Theatre, Out of Joint, the Almeida, the Bush and the Royal Court theatres. Film appearances include This is My Father, The Butcher Boy, Saltwater, and Clash of the Ash, and on TV Stardust, Any Time Now and No Tears. Gina’s stage plays include The Crumb Trail (Pan Pan), Danti-Dan (Rough Magic), Dog House (The National Theatre, U.K.), Toupees and Snare Drums (CoisCeim/Abbey Theatre), Tea Set (Fishamble) and A Heart of Cork (Cork Capital of Culture, 2005). She has written a number of plays for radio and has recently published some short stories.

Andrew Bennett

Performances at the Abbey and Peacock Theatres include A Month in the Country, Fool for Love, Homeland, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Playboy of the Western World (national and US tour) and Translations. Other theatre work includes The Playboy of the Western World (Druid—UK Tour), The Tinker’s Curse and Conversations on a Homecoming (Livin’ Dred), Family Stories (b*spoke), What Where, Medea Material, Early Morning (Bedrock), Landscape with Argonauts, The Spanish Tragedy, The White Devil (Loose Canon), We Ourselves (Passion Machine), Words of Advice for Young People (Rough Magic), Macbeth 7 (Pan Pan) and Freefall, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Everyday, The Birthday Party Show, Lolita, Streetcar, Big Bad Woolf, Car Show, The Seagull and Michael West’s one-man play Foley (The Corn Exchange). Film and television work includes Savage, Zonad, Garage, Prosperity, The General, David Copperfield, Alaska, Little White Lies, This is Night Live, Pure Mule, The Clinic, Proof, Paths to Freedom, Salt Water, Angela’s Ashes and Trí Scéal.

Dylan Tighe

Dylan is an actor, theatre-maker, writer and musician. He holds a BA in Spanish and Italian from Trinity College Dublin (First Class Honours) and MA in Performance from Goldsmiths College London (Distinction). Acting includes The Idiots, Oedipus Loves You, Macbeth 7, One (Pan Pan), Viva Verdi (Via Negativa), Ariel, The Cherry Orchard (Abbey Theatre) and A is for Axe (X-Bel-Air). Directing includes No Worst, There is None, Amnon and Tamar & A Season in Hell (The Stomach Box) and Medea/Medea (Gate Theatre London). Winner of 2009 New Directions Award, Gate Theatre, London. Live-Art includes Journey to the End of the Night, Mise Éire and Céad Mile Fáilte. Film/TV includes Mount Analogue (Walker and Walker), The Big Bow Wow (RTE), Psych Ward (Blinder Films/RTE), Trí Scéal (TG4), Coolockland, Rí Rá (TG4), Crowning Glory, 81, A Man of No Importance (Little Bird) and O Mary This London, The Snapper (BBC). Radio includes The Woman’s Daughter and The Case of the Great Crested Canary (RTE). Dylan is currently creating a new version of The House of Bernarda Alba with 11 Irish Traveller women in collaboration with the Irish Traveller Movement and an album for release later in the year.

www.myspace.com/dylantighemusic.