Faced with an impoverished population, a shattered infrastructure and a volatile army, the first democratic president of thebes, eurydice, promises peace to her nation without the aid of theseus, the leader of the vastly wealthy state of athens, she doesn t stand a chance but theseus is arrogant, mercurial and mothe put. Tragedy reminds us how to live, declares moira buffinis democratically elected heroine, eurydice. Moira buffini is a writer whose star is rising faster than the tension in a room packed with expectant england fans. Once oedipus ceased being king of thebes, his two sons, polyneices and. Set somewhere in africa in 2010, welcome to thebes uses greek mythology as a cipher through which to view the very modern issues surrounding conflict in developing nations. Hamilton begins this chapter by discussing the titans, the parents of the 12 major olympian gods. In our time machine, we traveled to ancient egypt, one of the great river civilizations of 31501100 b. The titans and the twelve great olympians welcome to. David harewood, mbe born 8 december 1965 is an english actor. Presentation mode open print download current view. Moira buffini is not the first dramatist to seek to marry modern politics and ancient myths.
This is your introduction to our state cause everybody has a tale like this. He put this gun into my hand and made me human once again. Welcome to thebes takes as its main character eurydice, not of orpheus fame, but someone who is no more than a cameo figure in the ancient theban tragedies. Actor resume jan 2017 olivia poon follow me on follow me on follow me on follow me on follow me on follow me on agent. Welcome to thebes contains violence, graphic depictions of war, and reference to sexual assault, which may be triggering to some individuals. This is not a pretty novel and it perhaps administers too many shocks to its readers but it contains passages of utmost eloquence swarthout has a vocabulary reminiscent of james gould cozzensand it is beautifully and intricately constructed. Welcome to thebes takes a stack of greek stories, familiar from the tragedies, and gives them a 21stcentury twist worthy of a headspinning themepark ride. Buffinis new play welcome to thebes is enormous in scale and political range. The 2019 actors program graduates in welcome to thebes. A story about a famous author and an infamouse case of multiple rape.
This website is where we will explore the countless pieces of information we have picked up along the way. Welcome to thebes 1962, loveland 1968 and pinch me, i must be dreaming 1994 depict how the problems of adults affect their children, especially youth trying to adapt to an adult world. Welcome to thebes by moira buffini produced by the national theatre in 2010 and loosely based on sophocles classic tragedy antigone. Faced with an impoverished population, a shattered infrastructure and a volatile army, the first democratic president of thebes, eurydice, promises peace to her. A huge thank you to our script selection bafta rocliffe. Euridice, newlyelected president of warravaged thebes, is hosting theseus, first citizen of athens at a congress during which she and her mostly female. Moira buffinis welcome to thebes premiered at the national theatre, london, in june 2010. Louis drank in harrys naked body, mouthing wetly at his neck before kissing his way down to where his thigh met his pelvis. It doesnt so much translate greek drama to a modern african state ellen johnson sirleafs liberia is a candidate. For the novel of this title by glendon swarthout, see welcome to thebes novel. Classical musicians clara schumann and johannes brahms engage in a scandalous love affair, while an ideological war rages around them. Readers who remember grace metaliouss 1956 bestseller, peyton place, which became a hit film, then a sequel novel and a tv miniseries. In aeschylus play two brothers, eteocles and polyneices, faced each other in battle for thebes throne and they both died in the battle.
Her short play handbagged is one of the highlights of the women power and politics season at the tricycle theatre, her film tamara drewe is set to be one of the big brit hits of the year, and her new fulllength play welcome to thebes, staged at the nationals olivier theatre. Its a reminder the playwright herself and her latest work, welcome to thebes, is eager to provide. It premiered on 15 june 2010 in a production at the olivier theatre of the royal national theatre in london directed by richard eyre. The scarifying events of sewell smiths youth had left him shattered and embittered. They discover the body of polynices, a warlord in the recentlyended civil war and. Antigone is the sequel to aeschylus seven against thebes. Moira buffinis strange and daring play is moving, wise, funny, horrifying. Review welcome to thebes, national theatre thursday 17 june 2010 the whingers were inspired to smuggle their recently purchased vuvuzela trumpets about their persons as they entered the olivier auditorium on tuesday evening. Without the aid of theseus, the leader of the vastly wealthy state of. Review welcome to thebes, national theatre a west end.
She combines ancient greek mythology with modern politics. Nikki amukabird and david harewood in welcome to thebes. Welcome to thebes, inspired by ancient greek myth, is set in the present day and s dramatizes an encounter between the worlds richest and most politically complacent country and one of the poorest countries in the aftermath of a fierce internecine war. Full of resonances you werent expecting, jokes you didnt see coming. The failure of the tragic in moira buffinis welcome to thebes catastrophe survived. Welcome to thebes nikki amukabird talks about playing eurydice in welcome to thebes by moira buffini at the national theatre.
Tristram kenton for the guardian m oira buffini is not the first dramatist to seek to marry modern politics and ancient myths. Set in the present day but inspired by ancient myth, welcome to thebes offers a passionate exploration of an encounter between the worlds richest and the worlds poorest countries in the aftermath of a brutal war. Attachments 9 page history page information resolved comments view in hierarchy view source export to pdf export to word pages home. Traveling egypts past time machine to ancient egypt. Lots of plays when you hear about them, i go ohh that sounds like a goodclever idea, then you go and see it and its a huge let down. The thebes of aeschylus play shares many common factors with athens of the. Creon, the new ruler of thebes, declares that only etiocles will be buried and policeices body will be left in the battlefield. The titans were the rulers of the universe before zeus rose to power, and the most prominent of them was cronus. Based upon an actual case of multiple underaged rape which took place in the 1950s in a small michigan town, lowell, michigan, where the author grew up. Based upon an actual case of multiple underaged rape which took place in the 1950s in a small michigan town, lowell, michigan, which the author grew up in. This production contains strong language, violence with blood, use of weapons, the sound of gunfire, and the use of theatrical haze and strobe effects. Set in the present day but inspired by ancient myth, welcome to thebes offers a passionate exploration of an encounter between the worlds richest and the.
Moira buffini faced with an impoverished population, a shattered infrastructure and a volatile army, the first democratic president of thebes, eurydice, promises peace to her nation. Welcome to thebes by moira buffini national theatre. He played cia counterterrorism director david estes in homeland 20112012, and jonn jonzz martian manhunter and hank henshaw cyborg superman in supergirl 2015present. There will use of loud noises and gun shots in this production. Olivier, londonmuch as i love the ambition of buffinis play, there runs through it an unresolved contradiction between free will and fate, says. Set in a contemporary, unnamed african republic destroyed by civil war, the play explores the fragile diplomatic relationship between eurydice, the new female president of wartorn thebes, andtheseus. Set in a city named thebes, somewhere in the 20th century, the play is introduced by. On his return to his home town of thebes, michigan, morally and financially bankrupt from a writing career in films, these early experiences began to take on a different hue, no less corrosive but illuminating the moral climate of the place. Faced with an impoverished population, a shattered infrastructure and a volatile army, the first democratic president of thebes, eurydice, promises peace to her nation. In this paper i consider these three failures as interrelated and dependent upon one another. Welcome to thebes is glendon swarthouts naughty book. Pdf moira buffini plays 2 download read online free.
Seeing as welcome to thebes is a modern retelling of a medley of ancient occidental stories antigone, lysistrata, hippolytus, and hints at several mythological stories if successful, it should encapsulate the same attributes. All cast members will be called to the beginning of every rehearsal. During our trip, we toured the advanced villages, towering pyramids, and various sites across egypt. Harry lifted his hips and louis pulled them off along with his underwear. Set in a city named thebes, somewhere in the 20th century, the play is introduced by a militia sergeant named miletus and two child soldiers under his command, scud and megeara.
Creons wife, she loses both her sons to the sweep of wider history. Welcome to thebes offers a passionate exploration of an encounter between the worlds richest and the worlds poorest countries in the aftermath of a brutal war. Chosen chosen by john owen theobald directed by nour wazzi composer clara schumann 1853. Readers who remember grace metaliouss 1956 bestseller, peyton place, which became a hit film, then a sequel novel and a tv miniseries,will see the literary similarities. The failure of the tragic in moira buffinis welcome to thebes voela, angie 20301 00. The names of some of the characters may ring reassuring classical bells eurydice, antigone, theseus, tiresias but the context is deliberately, disorientatingly jarring. Eteocles burghers of cadmos, timely words beseem him at the stern who guards the citys weal, guiding the helm with lids unsoothed by sleep. Share via email share on facebook share on twitter show more bookmark this article. Licensed to youtube by umg, adrev for a 3rd party on behalf of universal pictures film music. In postwar france, playwrights such as anouilh, cocteau and sartre sought a.
The population of this city is pretty uniformly doomedwhen theyre not sleeping with their own mothers lookin at you, oedipus or acting all high and mighty and assuming that their law is better than the gods cough, creon, cough cough, theyre burying their brother when burying their brother is forbiddencmon, antigone. In moira buffinis welcome to thebes 2010 antigone fails to reach her tragic destiny, the city of thebes fails to become an autonomous democratic state, and the audience fails to witness the splendour of the ancient heroine. The times handbagged winner of the 2014 olivier award for outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre. Moira buffinis welcome to thebes draws its inspiration from two very different sources. Set in the present day but inspired by ancient myth, moira buffinis welcome to thebes offers a passionate exploration of an encounter between the worlds richest and poorest countries, set in the aftermath of a brutal war faced with an impoverished population, a shattered infrastructure and a volatile army, the first democratic president of thebes, eurydice, promises peace to her nation. Welcome to thebes theatre arts the university of iowa. Thebes is the place in classical myth where antigone, the daughter of oedipus, tried to bury her rebellious brother polyneices in.