An essay based on the academic research of Drama Lecturer Dr Stephe Harrop features in a theatre programme for a new West End production.
Dr Harrop was commissioned to write the essay for Donmar Warehouse’s critically acclaimed revival of Knives in Hens, after the literary manager read her article Grounded, Heracles and the Gorgon’s Gaze.
Written by David Harrower and directed by Yael Farber, the modern classic traces a young woman’s progress towards intellectual independence and spiritual emancipation through linguistic explorations of her rural world’s visceral, violent beauties.
Dr Harrop said: “Writing this kind of essay is a fantastic opportunity to reach an audience who wouldn’t normally read academic research, helping them to learn more about Greek tragedy, and the ways in which the production’s director draws on the ancient past to create a gripping new interpretation of Knives in Hens.
“My essay identifies connections between Harrower's play and ancient Greek tragedy, highlighting tragic theatre's recurring focus on dangerous encounters between wildness and civilisation.”