Jocasta’s Line

World premiere in which the Norwegian National Ballet joins forces with the Norwegian National Opera Chorus.

Jocasta’s Line intertwines two Greek tragedies: Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Samy Moussa has composed new music for Antigone (2023), while Oedipus Rex will be set to Igor Stravinsky’s original score from 1927.

In Greek mythology, Jocasta is the daughter of Menoeceus and queen of Thebes. When she unwittingly marries the man who turns out to be her son Oedipus, an irreversible misfortune is passed on to the next generation.

In Oedipus Rex , Stravinsky’s monumental opera-oratorio in Latin, the ancient city of Thebes is plagued by disease. The only way to end the suffering is to find and punish the person who murdered the former king. Under pressure from his desperate subjects, King Oedipus sets out to find the killer. Soon he discovers the horrifying truth: he is guilty of the murder himself and is also married to his own mother. While Stravinsky’s oratorio assigns a key role to the men’s chorus, Canadian composer Samy Moussa favours the women’s chorus in his new composition. His Antigone, sung in ancient Greek, centres on the tragedy of Oedipus’ daughter. The renowned choreographer and director Sir Wayne McGregor‘s new work requires the full forces of The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet and Norwegian National Opera Orchestra. Wayne McGregor brings a poignant, modern language of movement to these classic tragedies.