Performances in the 1980s

The Greek Play reached new heights during the 1980s, with three productions going on tour to the USA and Canada in the space of five years.

Greek Play performances of the 1980s (more information found below):

• Trojan Women  (Euripides) 1980 
• Wasps  (Aristophanes) 1981 
• Birds  (Aristophanes) 1982 
• Hercules Furens  (Euripides) 1983 
• Hippolytus  (Euripides) 1984 
• Thesmophoriazusae  (Aristophanes) 1985 
• Bacchae  (Euripides) 1986 
• Ajax  (Sophocles) 1987 
• Frogs  (Aristophanes) 1988 
• Electra  (Sophocles) 1989  

1980: Euripides - Trojan Women

We know very little about the Trojan Women of 1980. Coming as it did the year before the wildly successful production of Wasps, which enabled the first tour, it has been slightly overlooked.

Apparently, the production made great use of abstract lighting effects through gauze, and was extremely beautiful. This programme was also the first in which a list of previous plays was given, informing the audience of the long-standing tradition behind the production they were seeing.                                  

1981: Aristophanes - Wasps

Seeing that Aristophanic comedy had played such a vital role in the previous years of the Greek play, it is appropriate that it was a production of the Wasps which became so successful that it warranted the first KCL Greek play tour of North America and Canada. The programme certainly shows the increasing sophistication of the Greek play: it is the first one to have black and white photos, and an advertisement in the back. 

1982: Aristophanes - Birds

It seems that King’s College London Classical Society was on to a winning streak with the comedies of Aristophanes, and so continued it with the 1982 production of the Birds.

The director’s note in the programme expressed the hope that the production would have contemporary significance, whilst celebrating the established tradition of the Greek play.

1983: Euripides - Hercules Furens

Returning to the author of the first two plays produced by the Classical Society, Euripides, a more obscure and difficult play was chosen: Heracles, or Hercules Furens.

It had been performed in 1959, and bringing it to the stage in 1983 renewed the reputation of the King’s Greek play for succeeding with difficult choices of plays.

It was also successful enough to enable the second North American tour.  

1984: Euripides - Hippolytus

Although the first production of Hippolytus was held in November 1953, it has been a common misconception that the play was performed in 1954 instead.

Therefore, this fourth production of Hippolytus in 1984 was to commemorate the play’s thirtieth birthday. This is actually accurate, as there was no play in 1979 or 1954, so 1984 was the year of the thirtieth play. The production was simple and classic, no doubt harking back to how it would have been performed in 1953.

1985: Aristophanes - Thesmophoriazusae

The third and last production to date of Thesmophoriazusae was in 1985 and it also went on tour that following autumn. It has perhaps proved a favourite at King’s because it is one of the easiest plays to put across to a modern audience: the cross dressing, battle of the sexes and general slapstick and hilarity ensures that is always a winner.

Nevertheless this production was ‘fairly scrupulous by King’s standards’ as one reviewer commented, there were no English sections and the Greek was tight. 

1986: Euripides - Bacchae

The 1986 production of the Bacchae was unfortunately cancelled after two performances due to the under-prepared nature of the cast and the indisposition of the main actor, who was also the director. Many reports were written on this event by different members of the department, and for a short time the future of the play hung in the balance.

It was necessary to change the organisation of the play in order for it to survive. The role of the ‘Executive Producer’, a staff member who would oversee the production and ultimately have the final say on decisions, was instated, and it was no longer the Classical Society that presented the production, but the whole  Department of Classics. 

1987: Sophocles - Ajax

The disaster that was 1986 actually helped to preserve and strengthen the continuing tradition of the play.

The staff involvement was now officially cited and thanked, and the Greek play was now seen as an activity for and a credit to the whole Department. In 1987 the play chosen was Ajax, which in 1958 had been the fifth production.

With a relatively small cast but large production team (see cast list below, left) this was a simple and clean but dramatic interpretation, involving exceptionally high acting skills, helped by the fact that the student who played Tecmessa would soon after leaving King’s become a major TV and film actress. 

1988: Aristophanes - Frogs

The Greek play’s future firmly re-established, it was time to return in 1988 to some well loved Aristophanes, the Frogs.

This was the first production that took place under the aegis of new London Festival of Greek Drama. The play was able to branch out and draw on professional resources to improve the quality of the production; the music was performed by Studio 6 Productions, and the make-up was done by the London College of Fashion.

Another performance was added to the run, so that there were six performances over four days. The production was a great success, and made enough money to go on the fourth and final tour to America, this time to both the East and West coasts: 

1989: Euripides - Alcestis

In 1969 and 1970 the play left the Great Hall in the Strand Campus for the first time since 1955, and was performed in King George’s Hall on Great Russell Street. The play in 1969 was Alcestis, a mere eight years after its first performance, which is surprising considering the difficulties posed by the play. The programme explains it well by saying that: ‘The plot is a folk tale rather than a serious tragic myth.’