Theatre collaboration

Cross-faculty collaboration (theatre)
Classics and PCI (Performance and Cultural Industries) have continued to build a mutually beneficial relationship that started with the organisation of what proved to be highly popular pre-performance talks for George Rodosthenous' colaboratively scripted Heracles’ Wife (world premiere, stage@leeds, May 2010). The classicists involved were Emma Stafford (Heracles and Greek Art), Sue Hamstead (Greek Tragedy) and Eleanor OKell (Classical Reception), we are hoping to make the talks publically available as podcasts.

This year, 16th-19th March 2011, George Rodosthenous is directing Euripides' Orestes in a new adaptation by Alex Clark and the Classics Department are providing three pre-performance talks during the run by Malcolm Heath (Greek Tragedy), Roger Brock (Greek History and Politics) and Eleanor OKell (Greek Tragedy). The talks will connect the tragedy which inspired the new adaptation with the performance itself and reveal aspects of ancient Greek staging, historical context and myth that will enhance the audience's viewing experience. For further details, see the Events page. 

Classicists have been invited to consult on the script and to give a series of four talks to the students involved in the production at the start of the rehearsal period in January. These talks will improve PVAC students' understanding of the original on which their script is based and the tradition of which the new adaptation, script and performance is a part. Talks will be by Malcolm Heath, Roger Brock, Sue Hamstead and Eleanor OKell. Two collaborative workshops are also being offered.

The first is for students involved in the production and interested classics students on ethics and characterisation. Elizabeth Pender will explore the changing values that continued to make Orestes' story so fascinating for the ancient Greeks and George Rodosthenous and Eleanor OKell will asist students to analyse passages and realise their ethical content and tensions through performance. 

The second is a public master class by Eleanor OKell and George Rodosthenous on the process of realising texts in/for/as performance. This will be the first University of Leeds cross-faculty public master class and is open to the public as well as members of the university of Leeds. For further information, including how to book, see the Events page. 

The intention is to repeat the pre-performance talks and talks/workshops for students involved in the production on an annual basis. The success of the public master class will determine whether it too becomes an annual feature of the Classics/PCI collaborative programme of events.