After considerable discussion with staff and pupils, it has been decided that the 2023 production will, for the first time, be a hybrid of both classical Greek and modern English.
This is in no way an attempt to reduce the challenge for pupils taking part, but an attempt to make the play more accessible to a wider audience and to help nurture a love of classical theatre, an approach that has also been taken by Oxford University with their Greek play.
Sophocles’ play, first performed in 429BC, follows Oedipus’ discovery of a dark family secret that threatens not only to destroy the city but the King himself.
The 2023 production will have a new ‘cinematic’ score composed for it, incorporating elements especially recorded for this production by internationally acclaimed aulos player Barnaby Brown. The production will also look to incorporate a mixture of classical and modern design elements to produce an exciting and dynamic production that feels faithful to the Bradfield tradition but is also beginning to forge a new tradition in which Greek Drama continues to play a central role in the school calendar and is enjoyed by future generations of pupils and parents.
The performances at Bradfield will be accompanied by workshops and talks to pupils by experts in the field to provide context to the play. The play will then be taken to Greece where the cast will spend a week to enhance their studies in Classics or Theatre Studies, as well as encouraging their love for the Ancient World, and culminating in two evening performances at the beautiful Mary Arconi Theatre in Alimos, just outside Athens.
