Oedipus Gets a Beat: 伊底HIPHOP斯王 at TIFA

On Sunday, June 16th, I stood shoulder to shoulder with the crowd around a thrust stage at the National Theater, watching Oedipus the King of Hip-Hop. This was part of the 2024 TIFA New Points Experimental Platform, and it was unlike any version of Oedipus I’ve seen—or imagined.

Director and performer 李祐緯 (Li You-wei) reworked the tragedy into a fierce blend of rap, dance, and live DJ sets. The story unfolded in Taiwanese, Mandarin, and Cantonese, but the emotional clarity was constant. The cast—陳弘洋, 王靖惇, 吳岳駿, 張楷, 徐逸君, 廖語晴, 黃鈺涵, 魏安婷, and 廖星瑤—delivered performances that felt immediate and raw.

One of my favorite aspects was the live DJ at the side of the stage. Even when a transition slipped, the performers kept flowing like nothing happened, which honestly made me love the piece more.

Instead of sitting back, we were all right there in it—breathing the same air, moving with the beats, witnessing Oedipus wrestle his fate in real time. It was intense, messy, and fully alive. If you get a chance to see this show or future work by Li You-wei and this ensemble, don’t miss it.