How do you make a new version of the first play in the Western theatrical canon, which also happens to be the World’s oldest recorded script, first produced in 472 BCE and written, in my opinion, by a genius?
The PERSIANS group page has lain silent for so long partly because of the efforts needed to broach the above, and my superstitious Irish soul not wanting to hex the process in what has been one of the most illuminating and exhilarating projects of my life.
PERSIANS sings.
Unfortunately, as I am not a linguist, I was unable to read the text in the Ancient Greek, but through my close reading of 23 translations, made across three centuries, I like to think I have a sense of the bass line – the original ‘voice’: Aerschylus, poet, philosopher, soldier-playwright, anti-warmonger, humanist. He chose to write about an astonishing, almost miraculous event, a David and Goliath of its day: the spectacular and relatively recent defeat of the marauding Persian Imperial force by the people of Athens at the Battle of Salamis. Aeschylus was an Athenian. He could have written a swaggering tale of victory, of the battle-prowess Greeks and their cunning and sacrifice to protect this early, emerging experiment in democracy. He could have written a xenophobic pageant of blood-lust and warriors, filled with self-congratulatory jingoism and gloating over the dead. Instead he chose to write a powerful anti-war play which painfully depicts the waste and agonies of conflict – the pity of war - written with fire and dignity from the point of view of the defeated.
That in itself is surely a remarkable achievement.
When I knew that Mike Pearson would be directing, and on Ministry of Defence land where soldiers are trained before being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq – part of the former Persian Empire – how could I say no?
I’m Kaite O’Reilly, and I’m writing a new version of Aeschylus’s PERSIANS, and I will share some of the process over the coming months.

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Comment by Dr Tom Payne on July 21, 2010 at 0:29
Comment by Kaite O'Reilly on June 13, 2010 at 21:00
Sorry I've been silent, Ben --- I'm often quite interested in hearing about the process playwrights make in approaching projects (especially as there's no surprise in this case, working with an extant text - we know it's PERSIANS, we can find out what the story is, if we want...) but regarding actual productions.... part of me thinks the less people know before seeing them, the better.....
Comment by Ben Bryant on May 27, 2010 at 23:44
Yes, very excited about this one. It's always been a standout of the programme - and what better way to celebrate the birth of National Theatre Wales than by going right back to the first play in the Western canon? Itching to hear more on what actually happens to theatre-goers bussed out to the Brecon site. Anything you'd like to share with us...?
Comment by Kaite O'Reilly on May 27, 2010 at 21:27
I don't know if playwrights would have any greater success or skill in blogging than Adam's poor actors...I'm never very comfortable with the form - still working it all out and the rules of engagement (even though I first blogged about a show for John McG at Contact in 2004) - but dialogue I can do and I'm grateful for all the lovely comments... And I hasten to say my blog will certainly not be any form of rival to Simon Gray's revelation of process... but perhaps there will be the odd interesting aside - but I'm already finding the comments and possibility for side discussions promising - so thank you all for that.
Comment by Michael Kelligan on May 27, 2010 at 9:41
Anything Kaite O'Reilly touches is bound to be magic!
Comment by Adam Somerset on May 27, 2010 at 0:21
Dear Kaite

The process of play-making is fascinating in itself. (I'm hoping to do something similar with an intriguing production that is playing in Edinburgh.) There's only one record I know of where a play's passage is described from conception to opening and beyond. That was Simon Gray & he wrote it back in 1985.

Good to have a writer doing it too- if you've read 23 translators that knocks most adaptors for six. After Northern Broadsides' "Medea" this year I had a look at Gilbert Murray versus Tom Paulin and the process of comparison of just two was revealing.

I'm not the only one who thinks that the fad by theatre managements in arm-twisting poor actors into blogging is daft. Why those with a mastery of one art should excel in another has no logic to it- why not get them to build the set if they've got spare time?

Appreciate also the respect for Aeschylus the man. There's a line over on the RWCMD site about Wedekind being "dragged into the present." Hmmm.
Comment by Dominic Rai on May 26, 2010 at 21:37
Do you see resonance's s between the Welsh and English.
Comment by Sam Boardman-Jacobs on May 26, 2010 at 21:31
this has to be the most potentially exciting theatrical project I have heard about for a long time- in terms of both content, location, relevance and expertise of its major participants-sounds like a real '(inter)National Theatre' at work-this should give us all hope-
a blessing to all concerned
Comment by Rhys Jennings on May 26, 2010 at 8:28
Ahoy Kaite,

This sound like an incredible project. I look forward to following your progress as you work through the text. Translations of the classics have always fascinated me. I'm sure this will give me a little insight into the effort and artistic choices that go into it.

Rhys,
The Actor Begins
Comment by Kaite O'Reilly on May 26, 2010 at 5:59
I have friends who are from Greece and Ancient Greek scholars and they taught me the Greek way of pronouncing his name - not the 'eee-skul-us' or 'ess-kal-us' of the English and American ways, but a sort of 'esss-cchhail-ous' - a very Welsh sounding (but longer) ch in the middle... It needs to be heard, really - which is why I've been recording said friend Yiannis Souris reading the place names in the script for the actors - but enough of that, that's another blog's worth in the future. Thanks for the kind words...

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