Jocasta's Line

Wayne McGregor ballet to operas by Stravinsky and Moussa

13–19 September 2025

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet

150–890 kr

Showings and tickets

Saturday, 13/09

18:00–20:10

World premiere

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet (Hovedscenen)

150–890 kr

Buy ticket

Wednesday, 17/09

19:00–21:10

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet (Hovedscenen)

150–890 kr

Buy ticket

Friday, 19/09

19:00–21:10

The Norwegian Opera & Ballet (Hovedscenen)

150–890 kr

Buy ticket

A fateful lineage

Groundbreaking choreographer Sir Wayne McGregor brings together classical tragedy, contemporary ballet and music in a grand world premiere featuring the Norwegian National Ballet and the Norwegian National Opera on the same stage.

In Jocasta’s Line, two Greek tragedies are interwoven: Antigone, with newly composed music by Samy Moussa, and Igor Stravinsky’s opera-oratorio from 1927, Oedipus Rex.

In Oedipus Rex, the city of Thebes is ravaged by disease. To end the suffering, the murderer of the former king must be found and punished. Oedipus begins the search, only to uncover a horrific truth: he has killed his father and married his mother.

Stravinsky’s music elevates the male chorus into an unrelenting, declamatory force.

In Antigone, Samy Moussa lets the female chorus carry the tragedy of a defiant woman forward, sung in Ancient Greek. Antigone defies King Creon’s decree by burying her brother, who has been declared a traitor. By choosing the laws of kinship and the gods over those of the state, she sets off a chain of fatal consequences for herself and those she loves.

Stravinsky’s monumental opera-oratorio stands in stark contrast to Moussa’s vivid, corporeal sound world. Each gives its tragedy a distinct musical voice and provides the canvas for Wayne McGregor’s choreography – a dynamic, contemporary physical language that delves deep into these ancient narratives.

“By combining them,” McGregor says, “we chart a new creative path — a space between the known and the unknown, between storytelling and experience, where timeless themes are cast in a new light.”

Facts

Jocasta is the figure that connects the two works. In Greek mythology, she is queen of Thebes and mother to Oedipus. Unknowingly, she marries her own son, unleashing a curse that passes irreversibly to the next generation. Antigone—both her daughter and granddaughter—ultimately becomes a victim to this fate.
Igor Stravinsky composed Œdipus Rex in Latin to evoke emotional distance and a ritualistic atmosphere. He described the work as a “still life”—a frozen image of fate, meant to be witnessed rather than experienced.
Sir Wayne McGregor is an award-winning British choreographer and director, known for innovations that have redefined contemporary dance. In 2022, he choreographed ABBA Voyage, the spectacular avatar concert that brought the Swedish pop legends back to the stage.