The cast comprises only three actors, who play multiple roles, and the story is told from the perspective of the previously voiceless protagonists – Medea’s sons.

Throughout the innovative production, projections are shown across 12 screens with footage captured by a live camera.

The director, Steven Mitchell Wright, worked together with a group of creatives from Theatre Work and a group of children aged between six and ten years.

The children were told the classic version of the story in a simplified way and in the presence of a psychologist.

Each child was then given the opportunity to retell the story in their own way, transforming the characters into superheroes or unicorns – some of which informed the resulting costumes and storytelling. 

Italian actor Paolo Bartolomei plays the role of Jason, Medea’s husband, one of their sons and a journalist.

“After studying the original text, it’s interesting to see how the children interpreted the tragedy, and how we could bring it to the stage,” Bartolomei said.

Bartolomei will be accompanied in Medea: Out of the Mouths of Babes by Willow Sizer, who plays Medea and a journalist, and Emily Joy, who acts in the role of a son and the king of Corinth.

The 32-year-old actor, who was born and raised in Rome, moved to Australia in 2016, when he was 25 years old.

Even though Bartolomei already spoke English, he faced difficulty in understanding the emotions behind the words, as the associations everyone has with words in their native languages are inherently personal.

“The emotion behind the same word in either Italian or English is very different,” he explained.

“It’s one of the challenges I still struggle with and am working on.

“Acting is always a form of exploration; it’s never a finished product.”

With COVID-19 restrictions a thing of the past, Bartolomei’s schedule has gone into overdrive, and the actor is booked for the rest of the year.

He finished After Aida and Multitude, part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, before confirming his future plans.

“I’ll be performing a show in October as part of the Fringe Festival, and then another in November that I can’t talk about yet,” he hinted.

“I’m on the verge of signing on for a third show at the end of November.”

Despite the difficulties of the past two years, Bartolomei has never regretted his move to Australia.

“The work environs are more respectful here than they are in Italy,” he said.

“Even the director I’m working with at the moment is so attentive to my wellbeing.

“Actors are given greater consideration on a human level here.”

For more information or to buy tickets, visit the website.