Over 1700 people attended four enthralling performances of Oedipus The King, the 41st Bradfield Greek Play, and witnessed the forging of a new Bradfield tradition; our first hybrid production in which the Chorus sung and chanted in the traditional Classical Greek language while the principal cast spoke their lines in modern English.
From the very beginning as the smell of incense and sounds of the specially composed score greeted the audience, to the very end as the blinded Oedipus exited and Creon spared one final look back towards the theatre, the production was a roaring success. The pupils were excellent. Harry (A) commanded the stage as the doomed King, Sophia (M) as Queen Jocasta and Jackson (A) as Creon excelled in support. Luca (H) put in powerful performances as the blind prophet Tiresias as did both Ginny (M) and Amelie (LM) who shared the part of the Theban Messenger, delivering the news of the Queen’s demise and the King’s self-inflicted wounds with genuine emotion. Delivering moments of sincerity and comedy in equal measure were Josh (D) as the Priest, Theo (G) as the Corinthian Messenger and George (G) and Tom (H) as the Shepard.
It is not easy performing a play of this scale in your native tongue so to perform lines in an entirely new language is no mean feat. The twenty-strong chorus spent months learning Ancient Greek and, what felt like an insurmountable task at times for many of them, has been realised with aplomb. They were outstanding.
It was wonderful to welcome pupils from Senior Schools including The Kennet and also Kelmscott School, who share our passions for Classics, as well as over 100 pupils from five local Prep Schools as our new tradition aims to nurture a love of classical theatre in future generations of pupils and parents.
This was the fourth time Oedipus had been staged in the Greek Theatre, the first production in 1937 and the most recent 60 years later in 1997. In 1928 John Masefield, who would go on to become Poet Laureate, wrote: “The only sad thing about the Bradfield Play is that when watching one, one knows it will be three years before one can see anything so good anywhere in England.” His hyperbolic sentiment is as unequivocally untrue now as it was then, nevertheless the Bradfield community is excited by what is to come in 2026 when it will be time for the 42nd Bradfield Greek Play.
Photo Gallery ‘Oedipus The King’ Opening Night 24.06.23
