A riotous reinvention, Goblin:Oedipus is performed by the wildly popular Goblins—WUG, KRAGVA, and MOOG—whose irreverent take on Macbeth delighted audiences at Bard on the Beach in 2023. This time, the trio brings their chaotic curiosity and hilarious audience interaction to a fresh retelling of Sophocles’ tragic myth Oedipus the King, adapted by John Murrell. Amid a deadly plague that grips Thebes, Oedipus vows to uncover the murderer of the previous king, only to set himself on a path of shocking self-discovery. Determined to delve deeper into the Dionysian degeneracy of the human race, three Goblins offer up a cautionary tale of patricide, incest, and eye-gouging comedy that you won’t forget.
Content Warning: This production is for audiences that are 18 years of age and older. It contains adult themes and strong language that some people may find offensive.
Tickets
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Running time: TBA
Adapted by Bruce Horak with Rebecca Northan
Resources
The Story
After their staging of Macbeth turned out to be a rousing success, the Goblins are moving on from Shakespeare and turning their attention to Greek theatre. If you’re not as familiar with classical Greek theatre, we’ve got you covered—but read on at your own discretion, because it’s a harrowing one!
OEDIPUS THE KING (THE NON-GOBLIN VERSION)
After liberating Thebes from the Sphinx, Oedipus becomes King and marries the recently widowed Queen Jocasta. Years later, a deadly plague ravages the city. Oedipus asks his brother-in-law, Creon, to seek information from an oracle. The oracle tells him that the plague will only end when the murderer of the former king, Laius, is found and punished. To help with the investigation, Oedipus sends for Tiresias, a blind prophet, but Tiresias refuses to reveal what he has foreseen.
The two argue, and eventually Tiresias accuses Oedipus of being the murderer. As Tiresias leaves, he hints that Oedipus will be the father and brother to his own children, and the son of his own wife.
Jocasta reassures Oedipus by saying that not all prophecies come true. After all, a prophet told her that Laius would be murdered by his son, but Laius was killed by bandits at a crossroads. This sets off alarm bells for Oedipus, who once killed a man in self-defense at the same crossroads. He sends for the only eyewitness to Laius’ murder, a shepherd, to learn what happened. Oedipus also reveals that he left his hometown of Corinth after receiving a prophecy saying he would kill his father and commit incest with his mother.
A messenger arrives with news that Oedipus’ father, Polybus, is dead. Oedipus is relieved, but with his mother Merope still alive, the other half of the prophecy could still come true. Overhearing this, the messenger tells Oedipus not to worry, because Polybus and Merope are not his biological parents. A shepherd found Oedipus as an abandoned baby and arranged for him to be raised by the royal family. When the shepherd arrives, he reveals the truth. Afraid of the prophecy they received, Laius and Jocasta ordered the shepherd to kill their infant son, but he sent the baby Oedipus to Corinth instead.
Horrified, Oedipus realizes the prophecy he received has come true after all—and that he was never going to be able to outrun his tragic fate.
