PHAEDRA is a darkly sexual, poetic tragedy of a woman’s illicit desire for her stepson. Continually spurned and dangerously alone, she plots a revenge that has catastrophic consequences. This modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth is performed by one man. Words, music, images and dance intertwine in a journey through the underworld of the human psyche. Written by a man, dedicated to a man, directed by a man, and performed by a man - this is an attempt, through men’s eyes, to enter the soul of a woman tormented by unlawful desire.
Writer Yannis Ritsos is regarded as one of the five great Greek poets of the twentieth century. PHAEDRA, written in 1974‐5, is considered one of his finest works.
Actor Brett Brown recently graduated from RADA. Theatre credits include The Tempest (Royal Shakespeare Company/Little Angel), Oh! What a Lovely War (Haymarket, Basingstoke), La Bohème (Cock Tavern Theatre)
Director Andrew Visnevski has directed over 100 productions. During the 25 years of his artistic leadership, he directed over 30 productions for the company and toured in 13 countries, including Zimbabwe, Iraq, Pakistan and the Sudan, and visited many festivals in Britain and abroad. Andrew’s stage adaptations include the award winning Kafka’s THE TRIAL, Kafka’s THE CASTLE, Lokis by Prosper Merimée and Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. British premières include The Trap and Mariage Blanc by Tadeusz Różewicz (New End Theatre), and Akhmatova's Salted Herring (Menier Chocolate Factory). As Founder President of Theatre Alive! Andrew continually collaborates with young theatre‐makers to develop and nurture their talents
Theatre Alive! is devoted to promoting new work, new ideas, and new creative talent. Theatre Alive! creates a springboard into the arts for young theatre‐makers by collaborating on professional debut projects to achieve the highest levels of performance and presentation. Many young performers, designers, composers and technicians have made their debut successfully with Theatre Alive! Through this collaboration on PHAEDRA Theatre Alive! aims to bring the work of Yannis Ritsos to a new audience, while engaging in the development of the next generation of artists. Past productions, commissions and collaborations include The Winter’s Tale (Mayfield Festival), The Oresteia Trilogy (The Drill Hall London), The Balcony (The Tabard Theatre), Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Maud (Midland Road Arches of St Pancras Station), The Life of Edward II of England (BAC, The Place, Riverside Studios, UK National tour), The Merchant of Venice (Lyric Studio Hammersmith), Ten Days A‐maze or The Prodigious Mysteries of the Saragossa Manuscript (Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Diorama London), The Puppet Theatre of Don Cristóbal and The Love of Don Perlimplin and Belissa in the Garden (New End Theatre, Canal Theatre), The Tempest (UK National Tour, Antwerp International Festival) and the British première of In the Solitude of the Cotton Fields (Edinburgh Festival Fringe).
PHAEDRA
Set and costume design by Francesca Reidy
Music by Javanese Gamelan player Aris Daryono
Multimedia images in association with Théâtre re, featuring Guillaume Pigé
Produced by Theatre Alive!
For more information please visit: www.phaedra-ritsos.com
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