Seven timeless Greek Aristophanes’ Greatest Comedies in Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

Comic theatre was a hugely popular art form in ancient Greece, and the 5th-century playwright Aristophanes was one of its greatest exponents. Acclaimed as ‘The Father of Comedy’, he wrote 40 plays, 11 of which survive today and are among the most prized examples of ‘Old Comedy’ (the earliest phase of classical Greek theatre, blending political satire and sexual innuendo). Presented here are seven of his masterpieces, bursting with irreverent wit and insightful commentary on Athenian life and mores.

Lysistrata – For 20 years, Athens has been fighting a futile, seemingly endless war against Sparta. Now, the women of the warring states have had enough, and decide to take radical action – by staging a sex strike until peace is declared. Barbara Mitchell, Diana Bishop and Godfrey Kenton are among the ensemble cast in this ribald comedy.

The ‘Peace’ – Fed-up farmer Trygaeus is determined to confront Zeus to ask why he is letting the Peloponnesian War ruin Greece. Unable to afford a winged horse, he mounts a giant dung beetle and flies off to Mount Olympus… Starring Frank Pettingell as ‘Mr Grapier’ and Russell Napier as Aristophanes.

The Birds – Seeking refuge from the rat race, two idealistic Athenians convince the world’s birds to build a new city high in the sky. But their new home soon becomes as corrupt as their old one... Norman Rodway and Sam Kelly star in this lyrical play that gave us the expression ‘cloud cuckoo land’.

The Wasps – Elderly, waspish Philocleon is addicted to jury duty. Hoping to save him from his obsession, his son, Bdelycleon, proves the system is rigged by dishonest politicians – and to appease his heartbroken father, he stage a mock trial, with the family dog as the accused. Can he succeed in curing his father of his passion for the law courts? John Baddeley and Peter Pratt star in this hilarious slapstick comedy.

A Festival of Women – At the annual Thesmophoria, a sacred female-only fertility festival, a plot is brewing. The lady attendees, furious with Euripides because his plays constantly portray women in a bad light, plan to execute the great tragedian. Desperate to save himself, Euripides persuades his father-in-law to disguise himself as a woman and infiltrate the ritual… Starring Michael Aldridge and Francis de Wolff.

Women in Power – Inspired by radical ideas of the day, Aristophanes’ satirical comedy imagines a scenario where women instigate a coup, seize control of the government and set out plans to institute total equality for all. But their utopian ideals are soon put to the test… Marjorie Westbury stars in this bawdy, fantastically funny comedy.

The Frogs – Frustrated by the parlous state of Athenian theatre and the city’s increasing political decay, the god of drama, Dionysus, travels to the Underworld in a bid to bring Euripides back from the dead. Featuring a cowardly deity, a shrewd, subversive slave and a fabulous frog chorus, this masterful play is both a critique of Athens’ crumbling democracy and a paean to the redemptive power of poetry. Starring Michael Shepley, Eliot Makeham and Michael Hordern.

Contents

Lysistrata

The ‘Peace’

The Birds

The Wasps

A Festival of Women

Women in Power

The Frogs

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