David Wiles directs a production of the extant fragments of a tragedy written in Alexandria in the second century BC. Drawn from the Book of Exodus, the story tells of the Hebrews’ escape from Egypt. The play was written by a Jew, and is the first extant dramatization of a biblical text.
The performance will mostly be given in ancient Greek, with the opening scene played in English. The project follows on from Hrosvita’s Martyrdom of the Three Virgins performed in Latin in 2025, and prior to that Seneca’s Octavia in a Renaissance translation.
The cast are a mix of students and seniors. The production style will be choral, using movement to illustrate narrative passages such as the burning bush and the crossing of the Red Sea - so fluent knowledge of ancient Greek will not be required.
The production is sponsored by Wolfson College’s ‘Ancient World Research Cluster’.