Oedipus the King back at the National Theatre

TIRANA, Dec. 11 – Ancient Greek tragedy Oedipus the King came back to the National Theatre this week after making its premiere last March as an Albanian-Kosovo co-production. Directed by Kosovo’s Ilir Bokshi, the tragedy comes as cooperation between the Albanian and Kosovo national theatres.
“We will bring current issues based on ancient times. We will focus on Sophocles’ text, but the analysis and situation will be from current times. History and characters are basic to the play but not in our stage,” says Kosovo director Ilir Bokshi.
Helidon Fino, Yllka Mujo, Neritan Licaj and Ema Andrea have been given the key roles in the drama.
After showing on December 11 and 12, the tragedy will also be performed at the National Theatre on December 13.
Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles’s three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone. Oedipus Rex chronicles the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes the king of Thebes who was destined from birth to murder his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta. The play is an example of a classic tragedy, noticeably containing an emphasis on how Oedipus’s own faults contribute to the tragic hero’s downfall, as opposed having fate be the sole cause.