Oedipus the King/Oedipus at Colonus costume designed by Tanya Moiseiwitsch, 1978 

Sophocles’ tragedies Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus were performed by the State Theatre Company of South Australia in 1978. Costume and set designer Tanya Moiseiwitsch took inspiration from the costume of ancient Greek and Roman theatre; platform shoes (cothurni) reflected the importance of characters, and the abstract masks worn throughout the play, though static in their expression, conveyed the characters’ mythic status and the heightened emotions of the play. 

This production is Moiseiwitsch’s second time designing for Oedipus, having also designed the set and costumes for Tyrone Guthrie’s lauded 1954 production Oedipus Rex at the Ontario Stratford Festival.