By arts editor HELEN MUSA

Canberra actor, director and producer Michael J Smith, founder of Greek Theatre Now, has made a successful foray into Perth with his production of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King at Kings Park Amphitheatre.

The play premiered at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in March this year with an all-Canberra cast. For the Perth season, Smith recast some roles, taking several Canberra actors with him and filling the remaining parts with Perth performers, including an 11-year-old and a member and student of WAYTCo, the Western Australian Youth Theatre Company.

Smith has long wanted his fledgling company, which opened in April last year with Cate Clelland’s production of Antigone, to spread its wings beyond Canberra.

This time, he took on not only the directing role but also that of the doomed king Oedipus. In Canberra, he had chosen a very young actor for the role, a decision that raised some eyebrows.

According to Smith, about 400 people and seven schools attended the September performances at Kings Park. The production drew praise from the Greek consul in Perth, Eleni Georgopoulou, classical scholar Neil O’Sullivan and students from Al-Ameen College, an independent Islamic co-educational school.

Best of all for Smith was the reaction of one audience member, who said: “I had no idea Greek theatre was so exciting. That was amazing.”

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