Years 9-13 Greek Theatre Trip
On the evening of Thursday 8th February, all Greek students and Sixth Form Classical Civilisation students travelled into London to watch an adaptation of the Greek play ‘The Bacchae’, by Euripides.
Supervised by the amazing Ms Merali-Smith and Ms Jeffries, we arrived at Warren Street, from where we walked to a Thai restaurant for our dinner. After our meal, we were treated to a series of little talks from the Year 11 Greeks about the main plot of the play, some points on characterisation, and a brief explanation of the importance the play holds, to whet our appetite for the performance. We set off for the Bloomsbury Theatre and before the play began, we were given a talk by the British playwright, Timberlake Wertenbaker, who enlightened us on the rewarding burden that was adapting a play from Greek to English, while still attempting to honour the original script.
‘The Bacchae’ is one of the classic Greek tragedies, which focuses on a feud between Dionysus and Pentheus, and looks at the consequences of denying a god due respect and worship. After watching the two-hour performance, which was utterly absorbing, we were all shocked by the lengths that Dionysus would go to prove himself. It was an all-round educational experience for everybody who came on the trip: the Greeks were able to gain a better understanding of the characterisation and main themes of the play, the Classical Civilisation students acquired a more enriching experience of ancient drama, mythology and the power of the gods, and we were all able to share our love of Classics with students in different year groups. The trip was a unique opportunity, and we are thankful to our teachers for taking the time to accompany us.
Written by
Rufus, Year 12