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The Onassis Programme

Producing 12 major productions, seen by over 35,000 audience members in 30 UK cities, plus a comprehensive series of talks, masterclasses, and new writing workshops, the Onassis Programme for the Performance of Greek Drama at Oxford University (2005-2011) brought new voices, global perspectives, and bold experimentation to the performance of ancient drama.

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Three photographs showing scenes from Cloudcuckooland
Cloudcuckooland, 2008

Funded by a generous donation by The Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, the programme commissioned, developed, and produced professional work by international theatre artists, and aimed to bring the best of such work from around the world to Oxford and the UK; these aims were complemented by extensive outreach work to ensure that performances were accessible to school children and students.

The programme enabled groundbreaking artistic collaborations, perhaps most notably the partnership between two Nobel Prizewinning poets, Seamus Heaney and Derek Walcott, which produced the first-ever opera at Shakespeare’s Globe (London). It also allowed major international work to reach UK audiences, such as the South African production Molora, which reimagined the Oresteia through the lens of apartheid and became a nationally touring success.

The funding also supported innovative public engagement performances and projects, including bringing the Red Ladies to Oxford, turning the city's streets into a living Greek chorus, and Pots and Plays, which animated the Ashmolean Museum with theatre, dance, and audio-drama inspired by ancient vases.

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Onassis foundation logo 2024


The Programme was coordinated and run by:

Helen Eastman, Programme Producer
Chris Corner, General Manager

Overview of outputs and collaborations

Productions

  • The Seven Pomegranate Seeds, by Colin Teevan, performed by Clare Higgins, May 2006
  • Swallow Song, directed by Lydia Koniordou, with translations by Oliver Taplin, Nov. 2006
  • The Burial at Thebes, a version of Antigone by Seamus Heaney, Oct. 2007
  • Molora, a South African Oresteia by Yaël Farber, June 2007
  • Cloudcuckooland, new version of Aristophanes’ Birds for children and families, Feb. 2008
  • The Clod Ensemble's Red Ladies, an exploration of the Greek tragic chorus, Oxford 2008
  • The Burial at Thebes Opera, Derek Walcott's adaptation of Seamus Heaney's play, Oct. 2008
  • Pick 'N' Myths, Greek Myths for ages 3-6, directed by Robin Norton Hale Nov. 2008
  • Hippolytus, in a new translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker, co-production with Temple Theatre, March 2009
  • Medea, in a new version by Tom Paulin, by Northern Broadsides, Feb. 2010
  • After Troy, new verse play by Glyn Maxwell, March 2011

Pots and Plays festival

A weekend of dance, opera, theatre, and digital drama from major practitioners inspired by ancient Greek vases in the Ashmolean Museum, performed in-situ in the museum, free, for the general public.

Talks / Masterclasses

  • Declan Donnelan, artistic director of Cheek by Jowl
  • Emma Rice, artistic director of Kneehigh
  • Staneiwski, artistic director of Gardzienice
  • Struan Leslie, movement director of the RSC
  • Seamus Heaney, Nobel Laureate
  • Barrie Rutter, artistic director of Northern Broadsides

Lecture Recitals

  • Sirens, delivered by mezzo soprano Hannah Rosenfeld
  • Nothing to do with tragedy, by Zachary Dunbar

New writing series, play readings

  • Goddess from a Machine by Peter Morris
  • Ismene by Stacey Gregg
  • The Angry Wounds by Julian Armitstead
  • Bunny of Troy by Derrek Hines

Artists and Companies

  • Alex Silverman
 
  • Inua Ellams
 
  • The Clod Ensemble
  • Ashmolean Museum
 
  • Lydia Koniordou
 
  • The Farber Foundry
  • Clare Higgins
 
  • Manning Camerata
 
  • The Lyric Hammersmith
  • Colin Teevan
 
  • Northern Broadsides
 
  • The Oxford Playhouse
  • Derek Walcott
 
  • Nottingham Playhouse
 
  • Timberlake Wertenbaker
  • Dominique le Gendre
 
  • Seamus Heaney
 
  • Tom Paulin
  • Emma Rice
 
  • Stephen Sharkey
 
  • Włodzimierz Staniewski
  • Glyn Maxwell
 
  • Struan Leslie
 
  • Yaël Farber
  • Hannah Rosenfelder
 
  • Temple Theatre
 
  • Zachary Dunbar