WHEN crafting a production of a play like Medea, you can’t do things by halves.

It’s a genuinely haunting play, and although it was written by Greek writer Euripides more than 2,000 years ago, the themes and fears that run through it – love, loss, jealousy, and murder among them - are easily relatable to a modern day audience.

In the National Theatre Live version screened at Pershore’s Number 8 Community Arts Centre on Thursday, director Carrie Cracknell held nothing back.

The tragedy tells the story of Medea, wife of hero Jason, who has left her for the Princess of Corinth.

Left alone with their two sons in an unfamiliar place, Medea plots her bloody revenge.

I have wanted to see a production of this tragedy since I first read the play five years ago, and I did wonder how they were going to portray some of the more bloody scenes, such as the gory death of Jason’s new wife, Creusa, and the murder of the two children by their own mother’s hand.

I suspect that some productions would tone down the violence and horror that comes with this play, but this production did not.

Everything about this production evokes horror.

Helen McCrory’s portrayal of Medea is absolutely stunning and you feel every word she spits. Whether her anger, her pain, her passion, her hatred, and her rare moments of slight humour, you feel it all.

The dancers bring another incredible but somewhat frightening element to the production, which is all very dark and glum in terms of lighting and setting. The dancers at times move frantically like rag dolls tossed about the stage, and the music, especially at the climax of moments of terror rings so shrill that I had chills that lasted for minutes.

Pershore’s Number 8 was a great venue to host the screening, as more or less wherever you sit you are guaranteed a good view.

At times the sound wavered and dipped, but that is really the only criticism I would make of this otherwise flawless production.  

Upcoming National Theatre Live productions being screened at Number 8 include:

A Streetcar Named Desire, live from the Young Vic, London, on Tuesday, September 16 at 7pm.

Frankenstein, recorded at the National Theatre, London, on Thursday, October 30 at 7pm.

JOHN, on Thursday, December 18 at 7pm.

Other showings coming up via satellite include Salomé & Wilde Salomé with Al Pacino - a Q&A hosted by Stephen Fry on Sunday, September 21 at 4pm, Billy Elliot The Musical on Sunday, September 28 and Saturday, October 4 and Stephen Fry - More Fool Me on Tuesday, October 7.