A huge Dionysian Oedipus that’s got to be seen. This one will leave you with envy.
These charmingly adorable Goblins have landed once again.
This time, returning to the Stratford Festival with an adaptation of Sophocles’ Oedipus by John Murrell, the Goblins add a healthy dose of licentious humour filled with ribald double entendres to deliver gut-busting laughs. The production is enormous on the Studio Theatre’s stage. It’s Dionysian.
It’s all done with gleeful abandon and rib-tickling bravado. Sophocles’s dirge of a tragedy becomes comically and palatably appealing for a twenty-first-century audience.
According to Spontaneous Theatre, the production company’s website, here’s a brief synopsis:
“A deadly plague brings the city to its knees. The citizens of Thebes beg their leader, Oedipus, to find a cure. When word from the Oracle at Delphi warns that the only remedy is to uncover and punish the murderer of the previous king, Oedipus vows to hunt for the assassin and see justice served.”
Mis en Scene artists Northan and Horak effectively position set pieces and props around the playing space for easy accessibility and to establish distinct scene areas. Michael Walton’s sharp lighting design captures attention effectively upon entering the auditorium. Thoughtful choices have been made to maximize the use of the playing space.
Upstage right off centre is the space for musical accompaniment. Upstage left is the seating area for twelve men (sporting Greek togas) selected from the audience to serve as the Greek chorus. Now, before going all sexist, saying why is that being done…Hold it…Mis-en-scène artists Northan and Horak are smart to stage it that way. They’ve done their homework. They know what they’re doing.
To conclude the visual look, there’s a red-carpeted runway centre stage leading to hanging curtains at the back. I heard there are over 500 electric candles used in staging the production.
What performers Wug, Kragva and Moog do is take the audience on a journey of Oedipus’s ironic self-discovery, proving there is no outrunning of Fate, no arguing with the Gods, and seeing justice served.
Wug, Kragv and Moog are a committed ensemble of actors who want to tell a story. These Spontaneous Theatre Goblins are too clever to depend solely on shtick and gimmicks to win over their audience. No sir. Instead, these Goblins are talented actors. Each of the three has their moment to shine. They get what the play’s about. And the Goblins want the audience to know what’s going on.
And we do (at least I did).
To describe where Wug, Kragva and Moog shine in Oedipus will destroy the show’s impact. You have to experience the look and the vibe of the play live.
I saw Wug, Kragva and Moog perform Macbeth at The Stratford Festival and Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre. Very shortly, the three will soon travel to Montreal’s Centaur Theatre in Winter, 2026, to tread the boards in telling the Scottish play yet again. I think I’ll join them and visit the show once again in ‘la belle province.’ They’re adorable, they’re cuddly, they’re devious, and they’re quick.
There’s even a hint at the end that the Goblins may be back yet again at the Festival.
Jonathan Church (Stratford Festival’s new Artistic Director), make sure you put these three on the payroll when they bring their show back to town.
Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no interval/intermission.
‘Goblin: Oedipus’ runs to November 1, 2025, at the Studio Theatre at the Stratford Festival, 34 George Street East. For tickets: stratfordfestival.ca or call 1-800-567-1600. To learn more about Spontaneous Theatre, visit spontaneoustheatre.ca. You can visit their Facebook Page: Spontaneous Theatre Canada.
A Spontaneous Theatre Canada Production
Goblin: Oedipus by Sophocles with an adaptation by John Murrell
Lighting Design: Michael Walton
Stage Manager: Meredith Johnson
Consultant: Bob White
Mis en Scene: Northan & Horak
Masks: Composite Effects
Performers: Wug, Kragva, Moog
