New Drama

15 Heroines

BY FIFTEEN PLAYWRIGHTS.

DIRECTED BY ADJOA ANDOH, TOM LITTLER AND CAT ROBEY.

9 November -
22 November 2020

Overview

“Let others praise ancient times. I am glad I was born in these.”

Theseus, Hercules, Ulysses, Jason, Achilles… The island-hopping heroes of classical mythology leave a trail of women – queens, sorcerers, pioneers, poets and politicians – in their swaggering wake. Two thousand years ago, the Roman poet Ovid gave voice to those women in a series of fictional letters called The Heroines.

Now, 15 leading British playwrights draw inspiration from Ovid to dramatise the lives of 15 Heroines. This exclusive online production in partnership with Digital Theatre is filmed live in our empty theatre. Delivered by an outstanding cast in three parts – The War, The Desert and The Labyrinth – 15 Heroines is a landmark theatrical event.

The War tells the untold stories of the Trojan War – Oenone, Hermione, Laodamia, Briseis and Penelope, written by Lettie Precious, Sabrina Mahfouz, Charlotte Jones, Abi Zakarian and Hannah Khalil.

The Desert is about women going their own way – Deianaria, Canace, Hypermestra, Dido and Sappho, written by April De Angelis, Isley Lynn, Chinonyerem Odimba, Stella Duffy and Lorna French.

The Labyrinth is about the women who encountered Jason and Theseus – Ariadne, Phaedra, Phyllis, Hypsipyle and Medea, written by Bryony Lavery, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Samantha Ellis, Natalie Haynes and Juliet Gilkes Romero.