Phaedra
Read Seneca’s Phaedra today. Methinks Ted whatshisname’s (the husband of Sylvia Plath) translation of Racine’s version of it was pretty close to the original. Hughes, that was it. Ted Hughes. That was the first NTLive play, you know, Phedre, with Helen Mirren and Dominic Cooper (Dominic Cooper who I saw in The History Boys before I was really into theatre).
Rather enjoyed the play. ’Twas better than Thyestes by a long shot, methinks. And The Trojan Women, which I’m halfway through now, is looking like it’ll be even better, and there’s the advantage of my not knowing what is going to happen as well, which is always a nice thing to have. Why on earth I didn’t read these plays sooner… Follies of my more youthful youth. But I’m reading them now.
Saw Foley tonight at the Opera House. It was quite good, as lectures go. Not what I expected, though.
4 pages on the Thyestes review today. 0 pages on the Gross und Klein.
You know, I don’t know if it’s because Greek/Roman plays have been adapted so many times or not, but after reading them I’m left with this feeling that I should adapt them. Perhaps it’s because they are so simple compared to modern plays. Hmm.
