Rave reviews for Carrie Cracknell’s Medea at the National Theatre

Tuesday, 5 August 2014

Carrie Cracknell has received a wealth of praise from the national critics for her production of the Greek tragedy Medea at the National Theatre. Carrie Cracknell was the Young Vic’s Genesis Fellow in 2012 and has been an Associate Director at the Royal Court since 2013.

The Guardian ★★★★
“The virtue of this production and Ben Power’s new version is that they avoid quasi-operatic grandeur to present us with a recognisable human being who is alive with contradictions.”

Evening Standard ★★★★
“Carrie Cracknell’s production is pacey and direct.”

The Daily Telegraph ★★★★
“At the end of this thrilling and merciless production you leave the theatre feeling both appalled and strangely elated – the sure sign that a tragedy has hit its mark.”

The Arts Desk ★★★★
“Ben Power, writer of this version, and Carrie Cracknell, director, have both dealt with the classics in innovative ways before. Power’s A Tender Thing retold Romeo and Juliet with much older actors in the lead roles and Cracknell’s A Doll’s House, with a vital young couple at its heart, reinvigorated Ibsen in an award-winning production that went from the Young Vic to the West End and New York.”

Huffington Post
“Carrie Cracknell, in this new version of Euripides’ work by Ben Power, brings us a genuinely disturbing production.”

New York Times
“This “Medea” is definitely shaped by the sensibility that animated her “Doll’s House,” which had the suspense quotient of a Hitchcock nail-biter. Ms. Cracknell again combines profound empathy for an unhappy heroine with a startling use of techniques more commonly associated with lurid genre movies.”

Daily Mail
“Immediacy and cleverness abound.”

Independent
“A scrupulously judicious modern-dress production”

The play runs until 30 August. To buy tickets click here.

Medea will be broadcast in cinemas nationwide on Thursday 4 September as part of National Theatre Live.