Greek (play)

It was first performed at the Half Moon Theatre in London on 11 February 1980, in a production directed by the author. The cast was:

• Eddy & Fortune-teller: Barry Philips
• Dad & Manager of cafe: Matthew Scurfield
• Wife, Doreen & Waitress 1: Linda Marlowe
• Mum, Sphinx & Waitress 2: Janet Amsden

Greek
Written by	Steven Berkoff
Date premiered	11 February 1980
Place premiered	Half Moon Theatre, London
Original language	English
Genre	Drama
Setting	London's East End

Greek is a play by Steven Berkoff.

It is a retelling of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Berkoff wrote:

"Greek came to me via Sophocles, trickling its way down the millenia until it reached the unimaginable wastelands of Tufnell Park ... In my eyes, Britain seemed to have become a gradually decaying island, preyed upon by the wandering hordes who saw no future for themselves in a society which had few ideals or messages to offer them." [1]

The play was used as the basis for a well-received opera of the same name composed by Mark-Anthony Turnage and first performed in 1988.[2]

References

1. Berkoff, Steven (1989) [1980], "Greek", Decadence and Other Plays, London: Faber and Faber, ISBN 0-571-14073-4
2. Ewans, Michael, Opera from the Greek: Studies in the poetics of appropriation, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2007, p. 183. ISBN 0-7546-6099-0