Bradfield College - The Greek Play

The Greek Play

Bradfield is renowned for its Greek theatre and Greek play, which is performed on a three-year rota. Started to save the school from bankruptcy by Head Master, Dr Herbert Branston Gray, the Greek plays have been staged by the school for almost 150 years. The students who act in them receive no formal training in speaking Ancient Greek, and have only nine months to learn the lines and direction, while keeping up with their other studies. The theatre opened in 1890 with a performance of Antigone. The 2006 play was Euripides’s Medea, directed by John Taylor. It has been noted for its groundbreaking advances, including the addition of projected subtitles and incorporating the orchestra into the skênê, using a ramp covered in sand and flooded to symbolise the sea and Medea's situation of being "between places".

The Greek Theatre is closed until further notice to allow restoration and repair work, enabling the theatre to meet modern health and safety requirements. The College has decided not to rebuild the Victorian temple which stands in the middle of the performing area. This is because such "temples" are not true to the design of ancient Greek amphitheatres. The smaller skene will create much needed space, making the performance of the plays easier and enabling the theatre to be used for other drama including Shakespeare. The 2009 Greek play, which was performed in the College's recently refurbished Big School theatre at the end of June and beginning of July, was Oedipus by Sophocles.