Tuesday, 15 November 2016

Oedipus with a Northern accent

Here is a cultural announcement I have been wanting to give since a few days already. It is a great piece of news I got from the Anthony Burgess Foundation: Christopher Eccleston will play Oedipus in a BBC Radio 3 production of Anthony Burgess's adaptation of the most famous play of Sophocles. More details in RadioTimes and in Manchester Evening News. Now for me this is not merely a dream coming true: it is a dream I never even dared to have. Anthony Burgess is my favourite writer and it is always great to have his work featured on stage, TV, cinema or on the radio. I love Greek mythology and I have re-discovered Greek tragedy in recent years. As for Christopher Eccleston, I have been following his career since I first saw him in Cracker. I love him as an actor. I actually thought even then that he should play in some adaptations of the work of Anthony Burgess, should they actually get produced. Both writer and actor being Northerners, I thought it would make sense, that they had similar sensibilities in their respective craft. So that is such welcomed news. So anyway, the play will be broadcast on the 26th of February 2017 for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Anthony Burgess. Watch this space for further news and mark it on the calendar. It is going to be amazing.

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