Choral reflections and refractions on the contemporary British stage

Abstract

The considerable amount of British adaptations of ancient plays gives a sense of the substantial impact of Greek tragedy on the contemporary stage. Probably the most distinctive feature of Greek tragedy, the chorus – whose unison and homogeneity starkly contrast with the individualism promoted by today’s Western societies – is frequently considered a disturbing feature, which compels playwrights and theatre-makers to adapt their mindset and to adopt new dramatic and theatrical strategies to deal with an undeniably challenging device. This article examines the rendition and the role of the chorus in a selection of appropriations of Greek tragedies re-written by four contemporary British dramatists – Martin Crimp, Liz Lochhead, David Greig, and Gary Owen – and staged in England, Scotland, and Wales (as well as in Germany, in one case) between 2000 and 2016. This contribution shows how the chorus, despite posing a thorny problem, in a more positive light can become “an extraordinary and thrilling theatrical resource” (Goldhill 2007: 79) to re-negotiate our notions of self and community.