Welcome to Thebes
Encyclopedia
- For the novel of this title by Glendon SwarthoutGlendon SwarthoutGlendon Fred Swarthout was an American writer.-Life:Glendon Swarthout was the only child of Fred and Lila Swarthout, a banker and a homemaker. Swarthout is a Dutch name from the area around Groningen, in the Netherlands, and his mother’s maiden name was Chubb, from English farmers of Yorkshire...
, see Welcome to Thebes (novel).
Welcome to Thebes is a 2010 play by Moira Buffini
Moira Buffini
Moira Buffini is an English dramatist, director and actor.-Career:Buffini was born in Cheshire to Irish parents, and trained as an actor at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. For Jordan, co-written with Anna Reynolds in 1992, she won a Time Out Award for her performance and Writers' Guild Award...
. It premiered on 15 June 2010 in a production at the Olivier auditorium of the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in London directed by Richard Eyre
Richard Eyre
Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre CBE is an English director of film, theatre, television, and opera.-Biography:Eyre was educated at Sherborne School, an independent school for boys in the market town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset in south-west England, followed by Peterhouse at the University...
.
Plot
Set in 'a city named Thebes, somewhere in the 20th century', the play is introduced by militia sergeant named Miletus and two child soldiers under his command, Scud and Megeara. They discover the body of PolynicesPolynices
In Greek mythology, Polynices or Polyneices was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. His wife was Argea. His father, Oedipus, was discovered to have killed his father and married his mother, and was expelled from Thebes, leaving his sons Eteocles and Polynices to rule...
, a warlord in the recently-ended civil war and brother of Antigone and Ismene. Meanwhile, Ismene and the new female president of Thebes, Eurydice, widow of Creon
Creon
Creon is a figure in Greek mythology best known as the ruler of Thebes in the legend of Oedipus. He had two children with his wife, Eurydice: Megareus and Haemon...
and head of an all-female cabinet (except for the minister of Education, who is a 'token
Tokenism
In the arts, employment, and politics, tokenism is a policy or practice of limited inclusion or artistic and/or political representation of members of a traditionally marginalized group, usually creating a false appearance of inclusive practices rather than discrimination, intentional or not...
man'), get ready for the arrival of Theseus, first citizen of the powerful democratic state of Athens. He is on his way for talks with Eurydice regarding aid to rebuild Thebes after the civil war. The cabinet's Justice Minister spends the same time gathering testimonies from victims of the civil war, such as Polykleitos, whose son died in the war. The champion athlete, war criminal and warlord Tydeus ran against Eurydice in the election and is now leader of the opposition, but he spends the time before Theseus' arrival plotting to take back power with his lover, Polynices' widow Pargeia. The Justice Minister then arrives to accuse Tydeus of war crimes, and Pargeia of embezzling charity funds.
Eurydice is informed of the body's discovery and goes to see it. Theseus arrives by helicopter and is irked by Eurydice's late arrival and the mysterious warnings of the blind hermaphrodite Tiresias. He puts up a friendly front, however, and goes with Eurydice to her public inauguration. There she announces that she will refuse Polynices' body burial and Tydeus suffers or feigns possession by the god Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
. The following night Theseus makes a pass at Eurydice and is rebuffed, and also keeps up to date with his wife Phaedra
Phaedra
Phaedra can refer to:*Phaedra *Various artistic works based on the legend:**Hippolytus by Euripides**Phaedra by Seneca the Younger**Phèdre by Jean Racine...
and his son Hippolytus
Hippolytus (mythology)
thumb|260px|The Death of Hippolytus, by [[Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] .In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte...
. In the meantime Antigone makes an attempt to bury her brother but is stopped and captured by Miletus and his soldiers.
The following morning sees the start of aid talks between Theseus and Eurydice. Miletus and his soldiers arrive at the senate with Antigone and Theseus's white aide Talthybia comes out to see what is going on, only to be mistaken for a ghost by Scud, who pulls a gun on her. Theseus rushes out with Phaex and his other bodyguards to see what is going on, but only exacerbates the situation, with Megeara pulling a gun on them. In the ensuing stand-off, Scud is accidentally shot dead by Phaex and the aid talks break down. Tydeus and Pargeia see their chance and begin to win over Theseus to their side, whilst Eurydice decides that her refusal to bury Polynices has brought the disaster on herself. She has Scud and Polynices buried in one grave and goes back to Theseus.
Theseus seems to have almost gone over to Tydeus' side when Eurydice's justice minister produces Polykleitos, who gives evidence against Tydeus as a war criminal and speaks about how Tydeus killed his son. Tydeus plans to cause an uprising, but is then knifed to death by Megeara, whose fellow villagers had been killed by his troops. Theseus then receives news of Phaedra's suicide and curses his son, who he thinks has brought about the suicide. Antigone in the meantime accepts a proposal of marriage from Eurydice's blinded son Haemon. In a state of shock at news of the suicide, Theseus agrees to invite Eurydice to Athens and resume the talks there. Miletus and Megeara then decide to travel to Athens to try their fortunes there.
Literary references
- The play draws its plot on Polynices' burial from Sophocles' AntigoneAntigone (Sophocles)Antigone is a tragedy by Sophocles written in or before 442 BC. Chronologically, it is the third of the three Theban plays but was written first...
, though it substitutes Creon's widow Eurydice for Creon. - Theseus receives news by mobile phone of his wife PhaedraPhaedraPhaedra can refer to:*Phaedra *Various artistic works based on the legend:**Hippolytus by Euripides**Phaedra by Seneca the Younger**Phèdre by Jean Racine...
, her incestous love for his son by a previous marriage HippolytusHippolytus (mythology)thumb|260px|The Death of Hippolytus, by [[Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] .In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte...
and its aftermath, all drawing on Euripides' HippolytusHippolytus (play)Hippolytus is an Ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, based on the myth of Hippolytus, son of Theseus. The play was first produced for the City Dionysia of Athens in 428 BC and won first prize as part of a trilogy....
. - The women of Thebes are mentioned to have held a 'sex strike' to bring an end to the civil war, drawing on Aristophanes' LysistrataLysistrataLysistrata is one of eleven surviving plays written by Aristophanes. Originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC, it is a comic account of one woman's extraordinary mission to end The Peloponnesian War...
.
Cast (premiere production)
- EurydiceEurydice of ThebesIn Greek mythology, Eurydice was the wife of Creon, a king of Thebes. She appears briefly in Sophocles' Antigone, to kill herself after learning that her son Haemon and his betrothed, Antigone, had both committed suicide, from a messenger. She thrusts a sword into her heart and curses Creon for...
- Nikki Amuka-BirdNikki Amuka-BirdNikki Amuka-Bird is a Nigerian born British actress of the stage and screen. Her theatrical credits include Welcome to Thebes ; Twelfth Night ; World Music ; Top Girls ; A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest and The Servant of Two Masters Nikki Amuka-Bird is a Nigerian born British actress of the... - Megeara - Madeline Appiah
- Pargeia, widow of PolynicesPolynicesIn Greek mythology, Polynices or Polyneices was the son of Oedipus and Jocasta. His wife was Argea. His father, Oedipus, was discovered to have killed his father and married his mother, and was expelled from Thebes, leaving his sons Eteocles and Polynices to rule...
- Rakie AyolaRakie AyolaRakie Ayola is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation... - Junior Lieutenant Scud - Omar Brown / Rene Gray
- Talthybia - Jacqueline DefferaryJacqueline Defferary-Film and television:Defferary's first screen role was in the 1992 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries seriel "Kissing the Gunner's Daughter". She has also appeared in several episodes of ITV police drama The Bill....
- TheseusTheseusFor other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
- David HarewoodDavid HarewoodDavid Harewood is a British actor.-Biography:David Harewood was born and grew up in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, England, where he attended St. Benedict's Junior School and Washwood Heath Comprehensive School. As a schoolboy, he excelled at all sports—from sprinting to basketball to rugby... - IsmeneIsmeneIsmene is the name of two women of Greek mythology. The more famous is a daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several plays of Sophocles: at the end of Oedipus the King, in Oedipus at Colonus and...
- Tracy IfeachorTracy IfeachorTracy Ifeachor is a British television and theatre actress best known for playing the role of Abigail Naismith in both parts of the Doctor Who Christmas special, The End of Time.-Biography:... - Prince TydeusTydeusIn Greek mythology, Tydeus was an Aeolian hero of the generation before the Trojan War. He was one of the Seven Against Thebes and was mortally wounded by Melanippus before the walls of the city. The goddess Athena had planned to make him immortal but refused after Tydeus in a rage devoured the...
- Chuk IwujiChuk IwujiChukwudi Iwuji , usually shortened to Chuk Iwuji or Chuck Iwuji, is a Nigerian-born actor, active in the United Kingdom.-Life:... - Girl - Alexia KhadimeAlexia KhadimeAlexia Khadime is an English actress and mezzo-soprano, known for her roles in British musical theatre and television. Alexia's break came in 2004 when she was cast as Nala in the British rendition of the musical The Lion King at Lyceum Theatre, London...
- Phaeax - Ferdinand Kingsley
- Aglaea - Aicha Kossoko
- HaemonHaemonAccording to Sophocles' play Antigone, Haemon or Haimon , was the son of Creon and Eurydice.When Oedipus stepped down as King of Thebes, he gave the kingdom to his two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, who both agreed to alternate the throne every year. However, they showed no concern for their...
- Simon Manyonda - TiresiasTiresiasIn Greek mythology, Tiresias was a blind prophet of Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo; Tiresias participated fully in seven generations at Thebes, beginning as advisor to Cadmus...
- Bruce Myers - Euphrosyne - Pamela Nomvete
- Polykleitos - Daniel Poyser
- Thalia - Joy Richardson
- AntigoneAntigoneIn Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
- Vinette RobinsonVinette Robinson-Background:Vinette Robinson was born in Bradford. She attended the former Intake High School and took a BTEC. She initially wanted to train as a barrister but changed her career plans at the age of 13 after performing a Charles Causley poem at a poetry festival.-Career:Robinson attended a child... - Sergeant Miletus - Michael WildmanMichael WildmanMichael Wildman is a British actor who appeared in the film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He played the role of aggressive, feisty centaur Magorian, who plays a small part in the eventual outcome of the plot....
- Ensemble - Jessie BurtonJessie Burton-Career:Before starting her professional career, Burton studied at Oxford University and the Central School of Speech and Drama where she appeared in productions of The House of Bernarda Alba, Othello, Play and Macbeth.-Theatre:...
, Daniel Fine, Karlina Grace, Irma Inniss, Cornelius Macarthy, Clare Perkins, Victor Power, Zara Tempest Walters