ÌÇÐÄTV

We are pleased to announce that our production of Assemblywomen is going to the Edinburgh Fringe!

To find out more and book your tickets  

Assemblywomen is a modern adaptation of an Ancient Greek comedy, featuring cross-dressing, confusion and chaos. The women of Athens stage a political takeover, disguising themselves as men and implementing an outlandish new system across the city. Their husbands, stuck at home, are left to deal with the farcical consequences. The play follows the Athenians as they come to terms with the women’s rule, getting into a series of daft situations along the way. Updated and performed by students, with a unique blend of political commentary and risqué humour, this timeless classic isn’t one to miss!

WARWICK ANCIENT DRAMA FESTIVAL

26-27 JANUARY 2023

Assemblywomen began at the 2023 Annual Ancient Drama Festival, held in the ÌÇÐÄTV Arts Centre on 26-27 January 2023. The festival focused on a student production of Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen, directed by Hana Lawrie, produced by Seb Handley, and brought to life by ÌÇÐÄTV students. This festival is a collaboration between the ÌÇÐÄTV Classics Department and the Classics Society, to share ancient theatre with the public. On the 27th we welcomed 500 teachers and students from schools around England to see Assemblywomen. Supporting the performance, the department offered a series of lectures and seminars, including:

• Dr Xavier Buxton (University of ÌÇÐÄTV) 'The Domestication of the Polis in Aristophanes'
• Professor Micheal Scott (University of ÌÇÐÄTV) ‘The historical context of Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen’
• Professor Eric Csapo (British Academy Global Professor of Classics, University of ÌÇÐÄTV) ‘The Iconography of Attic Comedy’
• Professor James Davidson (University of ÌÇÐÄTV) ‘Assemblywomen as a source for history of sex and gender in Classical Athens’
• Professor David Fearn (University of ÌÇÐÄTV) ‘The Strangeness of Aristophanes’
• Dr Natalia Tsoumpra (University of Glasgow) ‘Masculine women, feminine men: clothing, objectification, and gender expression in Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen’

We want to express our thanks to Jeffrey Henderson for his translation of the script, and to the British Academy for their generous funding.

Assemblywomen 2023 Performance

EDINBURGH FRINGE 7-13 AUGUST 2023

If you missed the Ancient Drama Festival, you’re in luck, Assemblywomen is being revived for a second run! And if you saw the show in January, come along anyway! There might just be some fringe-exclusive surprises in store…

Hosted by C ARTS at the studio in C Aquila for a seven day run, Assemblywomen returns on August 7th-13th. Doors open 17:15, and show starts at 17:20.

We are grateful to IATL for helping us fund this project.