560 school children from across the country will visit the University of Warwick on 27^th January for a day of lectures, seminars and to watch a performance of Aristophanes’ Thesmophoriazusae.

The event is the largest outreach and engagement event the University’s Classics Department has ever hosted and will include a public performance of the play on January 26^th as well.

The play is a satire about the battle of the sexes. Famous tragedian Euripides is sent-up by colleague and peer Aristophanes in this cross-dressing comedy where he has him infiltrating the Thesmophoria - a women-only festival. The women are angry at Euripides for spreading false rumours about their behaviour (his work presented women as mad, murderous and depraved!) and are plotting their revenge.

Thesmophoriazusae or ‘Women at Thesmophoria’ is one of only eleven surviving plays by the ‘master of old comedy’ Athenian playwright Aristophanes and was first performed in 411 BC.

Each student will attend 2 opening lectures and then pick from a choice of lectures, seminars and workshops put on by members of the department and the play’s Director, Classics Student Thomas Boehmer, followed by a performance of the play itself at Warwick Arts Centre.

This entire event is being delivered free to participants, thanks to generous awards from Faculty of Arts, Humanities Research Fund, IAS, IATL and the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. The day will be filmed and a movie of the production will be created, as well as a taster movie of the day's lectures and performance and participants - which will be uploaded onto the web as a free resource for schools across the country. The video will also be part of the University of Warwick's 50th anniversary legacy.

Dr Michael Scott, Outreach Officer in Department of Classics, said "Warwick Classics students are at the forefront of showing how the antics of the ancient world are relevant for today - we are hugely proud of what they have achieved. In addition, we have over 560 schools students from every type of school and all corners of the country coming to enjoy a day of lectures, seminars and workshops built around a performance of this play. It is the biggest public event the department has ever organised and we have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response!'

Members of the public interested in seeing the new translation of this ancient play can purchase tickets for the performance on 26^th January directly from Warwick Arts Centre Box office or via their website www.warwickartscentre.co.uk. The performance begins at 7.00pm. Tickets cost £4.50.

 Notes for editors:

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact: Alison Rowan, Communications Manager, a.rowan@warwick.ac.uk or by telephone on 024 7615 0423 or 07876 218166