The Trojan War and Peace - The Scoop
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
STEAM Industry Free Theatre is collaborating with Javier De Frutos on a spectacular free theatrical trilogy to honour the Ancient Greek spirit of the Olympic Games.
The new three-part Oresteia, The Trojan War and Peace, adapted from Aeschylus by Steam Industry Free Theatre, runs at The Scoop at More London from July 5 to August 5, 2012.
During this time, the beautiful open-air amphitheatre on the banks of the Thames will become home to a rare staging of the magnificent Oresteia trilogy – a three part epic drama charting Ancient Greece’s journey from chaos and war to peace, justice and the harmony that inspired the Olympic ideal.
Award-winning modern theatre talent will shape the centuries’ old text by Aeschylus into a gripping and entertaining retelling of The Trojan War and its legacy. Each play is an hour long and can be enjoyed separately or in sequence during a single evening.
The Trojan War and Peace is directed by Phil Willmott, with movement direction conceived by Javier de Frutos.
Schedule:
6.30pm: The Trojan Horse
Aimed at an early evening family audience, this is a lively retelling of how a bunch of plucky lads from Greece outsmart the might of the Trojan army with an unusual present; but will the right boy get the girl? The Trojan Horse features a blend of toe-tapping songs, ingenious puppets, comedy and adventure.
8.pm: Agamemnon
Beginning as twilight falls, the gruesome and dramatic story of a hero’s homecoming steeped in murder and revenge gradually unfolds. A great king is reunited with his queen but bitter memories bubble to the surface and recriminations are bloody and unexpected.
9.30pm: Orestes
Darkness sees a new generation of royal turmoil as terrifying forces seek to plunge the great house deeper into destruction; but help is at hand as a new spirit of hope and justice brings this epic story to a ‘thundering and uplifting climax’.
Phil Willmott is a multi-award winning director, artistic director and playwright and has created all ten free theatre seasons in The Scoop at More London, including productions of the Ancient Greek classics Oedipus, Children of Hercules, Medea and Cylcops. He has also worked in theatres across the world on everything from the classics, musicals and family shows to cabaret and cutting edge new writing.
Olivier Award-winning Javier De Frutos is a maverick choreographer whose provocative work includes Cabaret, London Road and Death and the King’s Horseman. His acclaimed, sold-out Pet Shop Boys ballet The Most Incredible Thing, which won an Evening Standard Theatre Award, returns to Sadler’s Wells in March.
With performances on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays, all three shows are performed by the same actors and you can see them all each night. There’s no need to book – just turn up and take a seat! Moreover, there’s room for 1,000 people at each performance.
Orestes – guilty or not guilty – the public decide
BSL interpreted performances: Saturday, July 21 for The Trojan Horse and Thursday, July 26 for Agamemnon and Orestes.
Post show discussions: After the shows on Sunday, July 8, 15, 22 and 29.
The Scoop at More London, More London Riverside, London, SE1 2DB (on the south bank of the Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge next to City Hall).