The Trackers Of Oxyrhynchus

Presented in association with Neil McPherson at The Finborough Theatre Directed by Jimmy Walters

“I'm a God, Apollo, but I was tipped
On a rubbish tip inside this manuscript.
I’ve spent two thousand years asleep
On an Oxyrhynchus rubbish heap.”

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In a new production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, the rediscovery of Tony Harrison’s The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus in its first London production for nearly 30 years.

Egypt, 1907. Two archaeologists, Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt, are searching for ancient fragments of poetry and plays, next to an old rubbish heap.

Until the Greek God, Apollo, descends from the skies...

Apollo is furious that they have failed to unearth the fragmentary text of a lost Satyr play by Sophocles. As he forces the two papyrologists to find the lost play, Grenfell and Hunt become part of the story they have discovered. Multi-award-winning poet and playwright Tony Harrison remakes the ancient Greek original into a play for our times – and rediscovers the satyr play. Originally written to follow performances of all the great Greek tragedies, the satyr play is a short tragicomedy featuring a chorus with goat-like features and erect phalluses which is an essential and often neglected part of ancient Greek theatre.

• Dates : 3rd January - 28th January 2017

• Location : The Finborough Theatre