University of London Festival of Greek Drama 2009
King's College London's
Aristophanes' Lysistrata
The King's College Greek Play has been an annual and uninterrupted tradition since 1953, when the first production of Euripides' Hippolytus was successfully performed. Since then, students have gathered together to produce one of the Greek plays, from Aeschylus to Aristophanes, and unlike many productions, it is always performed in the original Greek. However what makes the productions stand out above all is in the way that they contrast the traditional elements of ancient plays (including the language) with challenging modern concepts. Therefore the performances provide an unique experience for the modern audience, allowing them an immediate taster of ancient Greek drama.
This year's production is of Aristophanes' Lysistrata
Make love, not war!
Staged for the first time in 411 BCE for the festival of the Lenaia this play has proved perhaps one of Aristophanes' most popular plays.
An Athenian woman, Lysistrata (dispeller of armies) secretly summons women from all the cities of Greece entangled in the Peloponnesian War and tries to sway them over into abstinence from all sexual activity with their partners until the men decide to stop the war. The women are finally won over, after much resistance, but Lysistrata keeps them with her as hostages – with the exception of the Spartan delegate, Lampito, who leaves for her city in order to announce the news there. In the meantime the women capture the Acropolis, in which the Athenian treasury is kept, in an attempt to stop the men from using these funds for war. A chorus of old men tries to set fire to the Acropolis in vain – they are pushed back by a chorus of water-bearing old women. A magistrate of the city tries his luck as well, first with violence, then with rhetoric, but fails at both. The two choruses then share the stage in a fabulously inventive match of profanities. Meanwhile, the women have began to loose their determination, but Lysistrata persuades them to be patient and - in order to speed things up – to arouse men with lasciviousness. The episode in which Myrhine provokes her husband repeatedly only to leave him longing and return to the Acropolis epitomizes this course of action. Finally, a Spartan delegation arrives in Athens and under Lysistrata's arbitration the two parties reach a peace agreement sealed with a common celebration.
Pre-performance lecture given by Dr Nick Lowe at 6pm on Wednesday 11th February
Dates:
Wednesday 11th February 2009 - 2:30pm and 7:00pm
Thursday 12th February 2009 - 7:00pm only
Friday 13th February 2009 - 2:30pm and 7:00pm
Location:
The Greenwood Theatre
55 Weston Street
London Bridge
London SE1 3RA
Ticket prices:
Adult = £8
Concessions* = £5
*for OAPs and students (please remember id)
NB. £1 off per ticket for parties of 10 or more
And please also note that accompanying teachers with a school party are charged as a concession
How to book:
Firstly by sending a cheque (made payable to "King's College Greek Play") to:
King's College Greek Play
Department of Classics
King's College London
Strand
WC2R 2LS
Please also send the following information with you cheque:
- Name, address and telephone number,
- Date and time of the performance you wish to attend,
- The amount of your cheque.
A booking form is available on the King's College Greek Play website for this.
Secondly you can buy tickets from Ticketweb.
Finally, you can buy any remaining tickets on the door.
What's On
26th January
Workshop and lecture on 'Mask and Chorus in Ancient Greek Theatre' by Chris Vervain
30th January
Workshop and lecture on 'Mask and Chorus in Ancient Greek Theatre' by Chris Vervain
11th February
Workshop on 'Text & Performance Studies: Exploration of Edexcel A2 Section A Unit 6' by Rebecca Reed
11th February
Pre-performance lecture on Ancient Greek Drama by Dr Nick Lowe (RHUL)
11th - 13th February
King's College London production of Aristophanes' Lysistrata
11th - 13th February
University College London's production of Aristophanes' Frogs
13th February (please note the change!)
'Talks given pre performance on political context, Athenian theatre and comedy in The Frogs' by Professor Chris Carey and UCL's Classics Department (contact Rebecca Reed to book)
5th March
Workshop and lecture on 'Chorus Matters' by Yana Zarifi (Thiasos Theatre Company)
19th March
Workshop and lecture on 'Greek Tragedy' by Professor Edith Hall (Royal Holloway) and 'Chorus Matters' by Yana Zarifi (Thiasos Theatre Company)
More events to follow ....