KCL Greek Play 2024 Lysistrata in the Wings

A new play Lysistrata in the Wings directed and lead-written by Kings College London student Ellen Scott-Smith, ran at the Greenwood Theatre London Bridge from 19th-21st June 2024.

AOD Actors of Dionysus with Tamsin Shasha, Mark Katz and Amalia Costa were involved as Executive Producers on the show, one of their outreach consultancy roles made possible from their long experience in the staging of Greek drama.

“The Greek play is a chance for us to engage with classical drama through a new lens, and this play has given us a chance to view ancient stories in a  way that speaks across generations, no matter how far removed we may think we are from these stories told centuries ago,” said Tamsin Shasha.

It was in 1880 that the first University Greek play was performed. As director Ellen Scott-Smith explains in the plays programme:

There are of course 144 years between now and then that have included the introduction of women to Greek plays, the success of Women’s suffrage, two world wars and the creation of the KCL Greek play in 1953. A woman being the director of a Greek play is hardly a case for the papers, but back in 1877, when Newnham College was prevented from staging the first Greek play because of their all-female production, it would have likely turned a few heads.

Scott-Smith sets the play near the end of the nineteenth century with a group of students gathering to put on their 6th annual Greek Play- a performance of an original ancient text. However, (recent) tradition is disrupted when they find out that not only are they to stage the seemingly unstageable Lysistrata, but that female students from the separate Ladies Department will participate for the first time.

Through a combination of new material and original text from Aristophanes, Lysistrata in the Wings explores the reinterpretation of ancient theatre and how it takes on new meanings for each generation.

The production was well received and also included  each night a pre-show event featuring leading scholars as guest speakers; Edith Hall from Durham University, Nick Lowe from Royal Holloway and Naomi Scott  from Bristol University.

Amalia Costa who was Assistant Excutive Director on the project said of the experience:

Once I had graduated from KCL, Actors of Dionysus reached out to me asking if I would take on the role of Assistant Executive Director for the 2024 Greek Play. I, naturally, jumped at the opportunity. Having directed as a student, I was so excited to see what the incoming directors and dramaturgs would come up with, and anyone who saw Lysistrata in the Wings, directed by Ellie Scott-Smith, would agree that I was right to be excited. Ellie has been involved in the Greek Play in every single year that she has been at KCL, and I thought her concept of Victorians scandalized by Lysistrata’s sexual content would make a brilliant show.

Mentoring the creative team and running Ancient Greek line-learning workshops with the cast was so rewarding, as it was clear how dedicated and passionate every cast and crew member was to the production.

I am so thankful that AoD gave me the opportunity to be involved in the Greek play again, and I wish every success to next year’s team!

Crew

Director/Lead Writer	Ellen Scott-Smith
Executive Director	Tamsin Shasha
Assistant Executive Director	Amalia Costa
Executive Director	Mark Katz