4 out of 5 stars

Writer/director Robert Icke faced a challenge in converting Sophocles' 2,500-year-old "Oedipus" into a modern political thriller: Its fateful twist is world-famous, though it now concerns a political candidate instead of a king. (Another challenge: A cavernous, monochrome set mutes the proceedings.) Yet the play succeeds, rousingly, thanks to Icke's inventive updates and sharp cast. Characters carry layers of evident and secret pain into often-electric interactions -- especially Mark Strong's Oedipus and Lesley Manville's Jocasta, his wife (and mother). Together they depict a strong, startlingly sexy power couple, who convincingly crack as an election-night countdown clock ticks toward their triumph and doom. — Adam Z. Horvath

Presented in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54, through Feb. 8; oedipustheplay.com. (Review date: Nov. 22, 2025)