(Dominic Cavendish’s article appeared in the Telegraph, 10/2.)
We’re so used to seeing Kristin Scott Thomas look elegant and refined that it comes as quite a shock to see her transformed into an unkempt, sickly hued and sleep-deprived creature.
Her tour de force performance in the gruelling role of Sophocles’ grief-ridden Electra rewrites our understanding of her capabilities. We knew Scott Thomas, 54, was very good – increasingly so on stage. After all, she won an Olivier award for her turn as Arkadina in The Seagull for director Ian Rickson, with whom she teams up again here (their fourth collaboration). Yet within 90 minutes or so, the erstwhile screen goddess propels herself into the first rank of theatrical titans.
I still remember – one of the highlights of my theatregoing life – the production at the Donmar Warehouse in 1997 that starred Zoe Wanamaker. This revival – using the same translation by the Irish playwright Frank McGuinness, very clear, and at times disconcertingly colloquial – easily stands comparison.