Classics

Orestes / Oxford Greek Play 2021

“This was a brilliant production. My only wish is that it could one day be performed in-person, as I would be running to get tickets.”

– Alice Main, review for The Oxford Blue

“The online streaming of the little-known ancient Greek tragedy with a modern spin was exceptional…The intense and nuanced performances, the queasy mix of fear and fury palpable with a small glimmer of hope, made Oxford’s Orestes a very capturing play”

– Marietta Kosma, review for Cherwell

Between September 2019 and April 2021, I co-created and co-directed a version of Euripides’ Orestes for the triennial Oxford Greek play, performed in collaboration with Oxford Playhouse. The show was devised and performed entirely over Zoom, and streamed live for one night only on 28th April. Ancient Greek and new translations were combined with live comedy, dance and an academic talk with world-leading specialists in the discipline. The performance is now available to watch on YouTube, with additional schools resources available on request at orestesoxford@gmail.com

Access & Outreach

I’m passionate about making accessible content about the ancient world for a wide audience. Alongside the Classics faculty’s former Outreach Officer, I was commissioned to write, produce and edit the above video for their YouTube channel. I have also edited other videos for the faculty, ranging from interview footage to a feature-length film. I’m always keen to take part in access and education projects, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with suggestions and ideas for collaborations!

Against the Lore

Against the Lore is a myth-busting ancient history podcast, that launched in January 2021. The podcast was co-created by a team of four (Alison, Barney, Zenia & Flo) who look at how Near Eastern, Greek and Roman history interacts with modern-day news and events, whilst exploring common misconceptions about the past. I no longer appear as a regular host on the podcast, but Greek history is now covered by the talented academic Meg.

Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify and beyond or on YouTube below:

Writing

I have written the following for ‘Staging the Archive‘ – the Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama blog:

Beyond the Text: Memories and Thoughts from Our Danced Chorus Workshops
(Alison Middleton, Estelle Badou, Marcus Bell)
The Archive in 100 Objects #3| Ticket to ‘The Lysistrata Project’, 2003
(Alison Middleton)

I also adapted a version of Euripides’ Bacchae, which was performed as a part of Durham Drama Festival in 2017. Currently, I am working on a new version of Euripides’ Orestes for the Oxford Greek Play. We are a company dedicated to educational outreach & access to ancient world studies, as well as environmental sustainability. My co-director, Marcus Bell, and I discuss the project in this podcast for the APGRD.