Theatre Rheo Brings AJAX to Brighton Festival Fringe 2013 Tonight

Theatre Rheo will present AJAX, by Sophocles, translated by Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff and devised by the Company, at Brighton Festival Fringe 2013.

AJAX is an explosive, visceral piece exploring the devastating effects of shame and violence on the human soul. Ajax is driven by jealousy to murder his leaders but tricked by the gods to slaughter animals instead. THEATRE RHEO force the spectator to contemplate their perception of violence in our world, using extraordinary physical theatre, vivid characterisation and just two performers.

Theatre Rheo's passion stems from the concern that classical theatre is becoming passive, non-diegetic and ineffective in British Society. It seems that where classical theatre is concerned, we not only have an obligation to revive the tale with care and respect, but to do so in a way that allows the myth to remain as challenging, shocking and purposeful as ever. This is why we have chosen to present AJAX in 2013, at a time when the threat of war is becoming more relevant to our society, yet so easy for us to ignore in the media's portrayal of it.

We aim to interrogate the spectator, challenging them to question their own capability of dealing with the effect of violence so common in society today. Using visceral performance techniques that will shake them to the core, we will give them the opportunity to subjectively experience the direct effect of shame on the human soul, reviving a classical text that many may have presumed no longer has any relevance to our present society.

For two nights only, tonight, the 10th, and the 31st May, Theatre Rheo return to the Brighton Festival Fringe, Brighton Media Centre to bring to life this excruciatingly devastating Greek myth.

Theatre Rheo is a Graduate physical theatre company specializing in innovatively adapting and breathing life back into Greek Theatre. We are dedicated to producing a Theatre of Purpose, one that viscerally addresses issues of necessity.

Theatre Rheo create highly intimate, cathartic theatre by reconfiguring the text, using stimulating physical theatre, vivid characterisation, classical mask work and stirring rhythms to craft an intense, all encompassing theatrical experience both for the audience and the performer.

Theatre Rheo's vision for theatre is one based on the need for immediacy in Classical Theatre: to fuse the words 'contemporary' and 'classical' to create an experience that can resonate through society in a way that philosophically challenges and engages any audience member.

For further information, visit www.theatrerheo.com.

Brighton Media Centre (V73)
15-17 Middle Street
Brighton and Hove
Brighton
East Sussex BN1 1AL
Tickets: £6.50 (£5 when booking in groups of 10+)
10th May 2013: 7:30pm
31st May 2013: 7:30pm

For more about the Fringe, visit www.brightonfestivalfringe.org.uk.

'Ajax' translated by Peter Meineck from Four Tragedies: Ajax, Women of Trachis, Electra, Philoctetes, translated by Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff, is published by Hackett Publishing Company, 2007. Produced by special arrangement with Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.

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