Sappho to get UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant this May
Southwark Playhouse Elephant will present the UK and English Language première of Wendy Beckett’s Sappho – a new play inspired by the famous Greek poet integrating the original poetry with contemporary music and dance.
Fusing ancient poetry with modern music, Greek chorus with circus and contemporary dance, Sappho is a thrilling adult fairy tale of mythic proportions that may – or may not – have happened.
The original Greek production premièred in Hydrama Theatre in August 2022 before touring to Andros, Delphi and Rhodes. Wendy Beckett and Adam Fitzgerald co-direct both making their UK directorial debuts. They lead a multi-national creative team with Halcyon Pratt, Fotis Diamantopoulos, and Mehdi Bourayou all transferring with the production from Greece.
Wendy Beckett said today, “For three millennia Sappho’s life and her sexuality has been debated and refuted among scholars. Legends and fables have sprung up at the mere mention of her name. Never has a poet held such a status disproportionate to the size of her surviving work, which is what inspired me to write this play! It is an adult fairy tale about a great, seminal artist who has inspired women everywhere. To be able to bring her alive again at Southwark Playhouse Elephant is a great honour.”
Adam Fitzgerald added, “We are thrilled to now be bringing Sappho to the London stage after our Greek production. It is such a joy to continue this play with artists from around the globe – Australia, Greece, France, and the U.S. – and joining a fantastic team here in the UK Sappho is a queer icon, a history-making LGBTQ+ superstar, and we are honoured to be sharing her story, embodied by British actors and dancers on the beautiful new stage at Southwark Playhouse Elephant.”
Sappho’s English adaptation will run at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 3 May to 25 May.
Book Sappho Tickets at Southwark Playhouse Elephant
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