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Euripides' Medea

2 February 2006

The UCL Classical Drama Society is holding a production of Euripides' 'Medea' at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre from 7-11 February 2006.

Medea Each year, the society, based in UCL Greek and Latin, organises the production of a Greek or Roman play in translation at the UCL Bloomsbury Theatre as part of the University of London Festival of Greek Drama.

Performed, directed and staged entirely by UCL students and staff, the plays are always well produced and received. Professor Chris Carey, head of UCL Greek and Latin, said: "After a successful run of comedies, including this year's adaptation of Aristophanes' 'Knights', inspired by Ricky Gervais' 'The Office', the next production turns to tragedy with Euripides' 'Medea' - one of the most popular Greek tragedies and one of the greatest plays of the world stage. The play explores the motivations of crime and the nature of evil, all focused on a riveting central figure of remarkable force, the eastern sorceress Medea, arguably one of the greatest heroines in the history of drama. It also raises questions about the position of women, the nature of power, the corrupting effects of suffering, the ethics of revenge, honesty, loyalty and betrayal."

Euripides' classic play about love, revenge, status and honour, sees the sorceress Medea plotting a grotesque and hideous revenge when her husband, the Greek hero of the Argonauts Jason, leaves her and her children for a new wife. Performed in a new verse translation that aims to explore the beauty of Athenian drama while being accessible to a modern audience, the society hopes their production will be both exciting and have an original take on a well-known tragedy.