A classic Greek tragedy performed at Wellington College International Tianjin

  Always seeking new ways to challenge its pupils and open cultural doors, Wellington College International Tianjin staged its second major Senior School play, the famous ancient Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) by Sophocles. Opening with a pupil matinee on 27th June, and two additional evening performances, the production utilized the unique space of the Black Box, with the audience very close to, and almost surrounding, the actors. A remarkable feature of the play was that all the actors had to perform in masks throughout. The Festival Director said “the masks were very uncomfortable and heavy, and the pupils had to act with their voices and their hands rather than their faces, which was difficult for them, but they managed it magnificently. It was a visually very striking, ambitious and thought-provoking style of theatre, so very different to the exuberant musicals staged in the Seldon Theatre. Wellington will continue to explore a range of performance styles as it offers its pupils the chance to take centre stage.