WED 28 OCT – SAT 7 NOV
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WOMEN OF TROY
WED 28 OCT – SAT 7 NOV
By Euripides
In a new version by David Fletcher
Directed by David Fletcher
It is the morning after the fall of Troy. All the Trojan men have been killed, but the women don’t yet know their fates – each woman is waiting to hear which Greek leader will be their new master as they grapple with grief and loss. By the end of the play, the women have been taken to the ships, and their city is in flames……
This intensely dramatic, powerful tragedy may have been written over 2,400 years ago, but it still speaks to us today on some of the fundamental issues of our time.
It vividly depicts the fallout of the terrifying violence of war and in particular the effect it has on the lives of women.
Just a few years after the play was written, the historian Thucydides wrote “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must” – a maxim that is being frequently quoted on the news today as it was in the ancient world.
Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval
Guidance
Occasional strong language, distressing themes and emotional intensity
Age guidance 14+
Director's Notes
When I was thinking last year about which play I wanted to direct in 2026, the state of the world led me to a decision that it should be a play that focused on politics and war. Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was grinding on, and the actions of Netanyahu’s forces in Gaza had already caused the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, of which about half were women and children. Searching for a play that engaged with this violence, I turned to Greek drama; and Women of Troy by Euripides quickly emerged as the obvious choice. This intensely dramatic play shows us the fallout of the terrifying violence of war and, in particular, the effect it has on the lives of women and children.
For centuries, Greek drama has fascinated audiences, actors and creative teams. These plays may have been written over two thousand years ago, but they still speak to us today on some of the fundamental issues of our time. They bring a searing focus on the human condition – on the powerful and, in the case of Women of Troy, on the powerless. We have seen this recently in Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey – this play is its prequel!
Our virtuoso creative team has, once again, risen to the challenge of crafting a vivid world in which our wonderful cast can explore the profound themes of this play. I am grateful to them all for their brilliant contributions to this production. My version of the text is shorter than the original and its language is, I hope, accessible to modern audiences. To draw a distinction between the two communities, the Trojans speak mostly in verse and the Greeks in prose. Classical Greek drama included a lot of singing and dancing – to reflect this, our production will include some songs and moments of stylised movement.
On 26th February, I wrote the audition notice for this production. On the same day, the world took another dark turn as Trump and Netanyahu launched their war of choice against Iran, leading to yet more civilian casualties. Just a few years after Women of Troy was written, the historian Thucydides wrote “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must” – a maxim that is as relevant today as it was in the ancient world.
DAVID FLETCHER
Director, Women of Troy
REVIEWS
Reviews
“Riveting… the production has a compelling power… Hecuba’s (Hannah Grainger Clemson) final speech is a phenomenon to behold and a remarkable debut” – Nick Le Mesurier: Warwickshire World Read Full Review
“A gripping drama… throughout the performance, you could have heard a pin drop with the audience riveted” – Ann Evans: Elementarywhatson Read Full Review
“A fate-like ensemble of excellent women actors who make the stage thrum” – Georgina Monk: Culture’s Coffee Read Full Review
“A tragedy like women of troy is exactly the kind of startling reflection we need” – Sam Capper: Warwick Boar Read Full Review
Energetic Troy story
By Pete Buckroyd – Stratford Herald
For a cast of 16, an ambitious version of this play by Euripedes writer and director David Fletcher examines the devastation caused by war particularly on the lives of women and children. Set on the morning after the fall of Troy when all the Trojan men have been killed, the women are waiting to see what will happen to them as it has been decided that they will be allocated to the victorious Greek men.
There is no interval to their suffering and so it is appropriate that the play runs for 80 minutes without a break. Fletcher gives a modern twist to several devices of Greek drama. Eight women form the chorus, speaking both together and separately. Violence is described rather than seen but at the end the body of the murdered baby son of Andromache is placed downstage centre on the shield of his father Hector. The chorus begin anc end each of the five episodes of the play which feature one woman expressing her grief and telling her story. There is also another chorus in the form of brief acapella songs and the whole play is given a frame of commentary from the gods Poseidon and Athena.
The play is given a modern twist by having the Trojan women speak in verse – hypersyllabic iambic pentameter to begin with, settling by the end to regular pentameter as the women accept their fate – and the Greek men in plain modern prose. This cleverly links past wars with the present.
There is a lot of stylised movement and quasi dance, demanding for the women of the chorus but creating a sense of external control and timeless repetition. The whole cast attacks the play with huge energy, so there is a far amount of shouting. But the five key women each create an individual style. There is very impressive verse speaking from Martha Allen-Smith as Helen. Her delivery forms a perfect contrast to the Greek messenger Talthybius played by Jonathan Fletcher who manages to create an impressive enigmatic character. We feel that he is caught between his role and human sympathy but his announcement near the end makes us wonder whether he is genuine or his human qualities were all an act.
We are told near the beginning that the gods have created all this turmoil and the last song by Mollie Dibb as Kleio makes clear to us that Zeus is to blame.
The set’s three tents and stage left bench provide visual stimulus and variety and the projected images provide clear locations and atmosphere.
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