From the folks at OALS… Dear all, The Oxford Ancient Languages Society is delighted to invite you to an exceptional opportunity this Michaelmas term: a full production of Euripides’ Orestes. Directed by Nicholas Romanos and Andrew Raynes, the play will be performed from 27th to 30th of November at the O’Reilly Theatre, Keble College, Oxford, with evening performances and an additional matinée on the 30th. In Argos, Orestes, with the help of sister Electra and their friend Pylades, has committed the worst crime imaginable: he has killed his own mother, in vengeance for her murder of his father, and is now tormented by the Furies. But what will happen next? Can Orestes and Electra escape death at the hands of the Argives, who see them more as criminals than as heroes? And can they rely on the help of their uncle Menelaus, who has just returned from Troy with his wife, the much-despised Helen? As the play unfolds, we are forced ourselves to face some difficult questions: are Orestes and his friends in fact heroes or criminals? How far can the heroic ethic stretch before it becomes little more than self-parody? And above all, can we even attach a meaning to this vivid high drama? The Orestes is one of the most exciting of Euripides’ plays, and the most popular in antiquity. It displays the height of his dramatic innovation, and—rarely for Greek tragedy—while its characters and framework are drawn from traditional mythology, the plot itself is entirely Euripides’ invention. This production, a unique collaborative project led by the Oxford Ancient Languages Society, will stage a complete dramatic recreation of Euripides’ play, demonstrating the vivid dramatic fruits of meticulous, interdisciplinary scholarship. It will be performed entirely in the original Ancient Greek (with English surtitles), with authentic costumes and masks. Crucially, it will restore Euripides’ drama to its full musical glory. All the sections of the play that were originally sung have been set to music, newly composed in the ancient Greek modes, using all available evidence about Euripidean music, and incorporating an ancient fragment of music from the play that may be by Euripides’ own hand. The chorus and our talented solo singers will be accompanied on the aulos (ancient double-pipes) by the renowned aulete Callum Armstrong, resulting in a transformative audience experience, closer than ever to the Athenian stage. Save the date for this extraordinary experience! Tickets will go on sale from 14 October. For any inquiries, please write us at . We hope to see you there! Best wishes, OALS Committee