02 Mar 09

Oxford’s Onassis Programme has teamed up with Temple Theatre on a new version of Euripides’ Hippolytus, which will come to town in this month.

This version is a new translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker of the horrifying tale of a family torn apart. Live music, choreography and rhythmic writing which echoes the original language, combine to bring this still relevant Greek tragedy to life. The tragedy explores injustice, revenge, forbidden desire and self-control.

Helen Eastman, producer of the Onassis Programme, which has been running since 2005, said: 'The Onassis Programme at Oxford University is delighted to be working with Temple Theatre on this new version of Hippolytus.

'The members of Temple Theatre were undergraduates at Oxford who then went their separate ways to train as theatre artists, from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School  to Paris' Le Coq Conseratoire, and have now come back together to form this award winning company. We are delighted to help them return to Oxford with their work. In addition to this, Timberlake is one of the country's leading playwrights and welcoming her to the University is an honour.’

In 2005 a generous donation by the Onassis PublicBenefit Foundation made possible the creation of the Onassis Programme for the Performance of Greek Drama at Oxford University. The Programme commissions, develops and produces professional work by international theatre artists inspired by Greek drama, and aims to bring the best of such work from around the world to Oxford and the UK.

The show starts in London on 24 February, but moves to OFS Studio in Oxford from Tuesday 10 March 2009 until Saturday 14 March at 7.30pm. There are matinees on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 2.30pm. For more details visit www.ofsstudio.org.uk.