When Oonagh Murphy calls, she’s accompanied by the din of Dublin city. The director has stepped outside for a quick chat amid the chaos of Medea rehearsals at the Gate. Previews have just begun for her version of the ancient Greek tragedy, and with two separate casts to accommodate for the leading child actors, it’s hard to find a quiet moment.

“They’re keeping us on our toes,” laughs Murphy.

Medea tells the story of a wife pushed to the darkest edges of her mind by an unfaithful husband. In an act of blind rage and vengeful desire, she murders their two children. This version, written by Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks, transforms the ancient tale by shifting the perspective from the adults to the children.

“With this particular adaptation,” says Murphy, “what was important for me was that we’re seeing the story through the eyes of the children, and the victims of the murder. We’re looking at it from a different angle, and through a different lens, so that we might bear witness to the horror of the story from that perspective.”

This switch drastically changes the message. We spend over an hour with the children, and get into their headspace. It’s no longer just about a woman’s descent into madness and loss of innocence – it’s about the responsibility we have to vulnerable parties.

“Any time you spend a significant amount of time with children as an adult,” notes Murphy, “you remember what it was like to be that age. You remember all of the hopes and dreams, and the idiosyncrasies and preoccupations, and then it’s cut short. By doing that, we see the metaphor is always there, but it’s not just a metaphor. As adults, we have a responsibility – our actions have consequences for those who are most vulnerable.”

As an ancient tale, the narrative has been replayed countless times across the globe. So in 2020, why do viewers need to experience the horrors of Medea again?

“What we’re seeing is a move away from compassion and from empathy as part of our society,” reckons Murphy. “We’re seeing a greater divide in society between those who are doing okay, and those who are just not.”

The director views this take on Medea as having a universal message, relating to people who are displaced, homeless and lack proper health resources. She’s interested in telling stories that amplify the voices of those who have traditionally been left outside of mainstream cultural discourse.

“As theatre makers and as artists, we have a responsibility to bring people’s attention back to that,” says Murphy. “We have to stir empathy and really give people a sense that individuals’ actions have power still. Because that’s part of disrupting the narrative that people feel quite powerless in this moment.”

As we inch closer to the Irish general election, Murphy criticises the main parties’ ability to connect with voters. The arts may be working to empower people and bring attention to the biggest social issues, but she thinks that politicians are missing the point.

“I’m always quite surprised at how poorly people use media and communications,” she says. “Obviously, we know Leo was a big fan, but I think their communications are so bloody tone deaf.”

Strong personal narratives, feels Murphy, are what drive people to really care about the issues. Looking back on the success of the Repeal and Marriage Equality campaigns, Murphy thinks it’s the only way to make a change, but that politicians are too scared of alienating voters.

“We had two successful social issue campaigns that utilised the power of individual storytelling,” she reflects. “The same could, and should, happen around other issues in the lead-up to the general election. But I suppose it ends up with people playing it safe, because they don’t have enough data. If you have a Green candidate in Wicklow, for example, do they think they’re going to slightly dilute their votes if they put too much of a strong message out there on one particular issue? There’s a tentativeness there in terms of actually saying what people stand for, and being really truthful about what the problems are.

“We’re a small country, we have a very village-y feel. When something affects somebody that you know, you’re more likely to have an opinion on it. With issues like homelessness, one of the problems is the invisibility. And that is a kind of hidden pain.”

Though on a much smaller scale, Medea is Murphy’s way of bringing attention to the hidden pains of the vulnerable. While disturbing, its intensity is necessary to bring about change and compassion.

“The stories that we have strong responses to,” she concludes, “can also be the stories we find most healing.”

Medea is performed at the Gate, Dublin from Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinees on selected Saturdays.