Jorge Lopes Ramos talks Naima Khan through a gallery of key images from Hotel Medea, his immersive take on Greek tragedy.
This might look like death, but it is in fact resurrection, I'm assured by Jorge Lopes Ramos, co-director of Hotel Medea. Together with Persis-Jade Maravala, who plays the lead in the production, he has, with an immeasurable amount of energy, taken the Greek tragedy of Medea and Jason from clan-divided Brazil to the western world via weddings, murder, political campaigns and reality TV. Today he's in Trinity Buoy Wharf, staring at a laptop and talking me through some of the key images from the show.
Possibly under the power of Aphrodite, Medea marries Jason (the Argonaut chap aka bloke with the golden fleece) and has his kids, only to be abandoned by him when King Creon offers Jason his daughter, Glauce. But as much as the audience are put through their paces as they both watch and perform the story, "they're always looked after as individuals", Jorge insists.
One of their tasks in the final third of the show, during 'The Feast of Dawn', is to awaken Absyrtus, Medea's dead brother, who rises again to save her children from their impending murder. "The tone is odd", says Jorge, "it's mournful but hopeful and then it shifts". The audience become Medea's children “They become childlike, their task is then to hide” he says. If you look carefully, you can see their toys on the floor. Creepy. 
Death again? More murder? No, rape this time and fake rape at that. “This image has quite a horrid tone” says Jorge, as he explains why Medea is splattered with blood and laid out over a shopping trolley. “But look at the delicate nature of the position, she has been placed carefully by her friends in this way. She wants to discredit Jason's political campaign”. By the second chapter, Drylands, Jason, is on his way to political dominance, neglecting his family for glory. And the cameras? They're filming Jason's reality TV show. Naturally. 
Ah, the wedding. Prior to the resurrection of Absyrtus and the attempted attack on Jason's reputation, Jason and Medea get married. But among the furore of the celebration, they can't find each other and here's where the audience come in. Dance and chant all you want, this is one of the lighter moments of the play, and your task is to reunite the couple among the pop-corn throwing.
This is part of the heady first chapter, 'Zero Hour Market', which unravels into club-like Brazillian cabaret party with music by DJ Dolores. Reviewers across the board agreed it could work as a stand alone piece, so this year it does. Running at Hayward Gallery 8pm on Thursdays, if you don't fancy the whole show, catch the first third.
Fun times, weddings. But murder and betrayal are the order of the day (see stabbing above) and navigating the tones in this epic play from celebration to tragedy "takes the skill of actors who have the art of presence", says Jorge of a particularly essential guide come cast member to whom the audience can turn to for anything. A test of Jason's strength turns into a tragedy, the performers become sombre and the play takes a dark turn. 
In this heavily gendered play, Club Exile is the group Medea sets up for heart-broken women and the microphone is amplifying the sound of her turmoil within. Sounds heavy, but there's a dose of comedy here as the club is women-only, so of course the guys have to find a way to infiltrate and you betcha they're going to wear wigs.
Add “multimedia” to “promenade” and “site-specific” and you have the theatregoers triple threat. But cast your buzzwords aside all ye doubters, this image captures a moment of catastrophic breakdown Jorge tells me, and it's only magnified by the infinity mirror effect used to broadcast Medea's internal deterioration so that it appears to go one forever. Fitting, no?
Hotel Medea runs at Southbank Centre from 19th July to 11th August. 
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