The Plays

THE ADVENTURES OF ODYSSEUS

Ten stories about the war between Greece and Troy and Odysseus’ return home many years later.

The plays in this series last 25 minutes and any combination can be chosen.

CLASSICAL GREEK SERIES

In collaboration with classisist Edwin Hunt, the plays have been adapted from the original Ancient Greek.

The plays in this series last one hour each.

HISTORY ALIVE SERIES

The plays in this series are accurately researched. New plays on themes not listed can be commissioned.

The stories last between 20 minutes – 1 hour.

THE ADVENTURES OF ODYSSEUS

Ten stories about the war between Greece and Troy and Odysseus’ return home many years later. These plays can be performed either in sequence or as individual items. They link well with the play “The Return of the Hero”. Each exciting story is portrayed with dramatic costumes, masks, mime and play performance.

The plays have been adapted from the original Ancient Greek in collaboration with Edwin Hunt, classicist.

The plays in this series last 20 – 30 minutes each.

“Mary’s stories are very close to the original [Greek] myths in content but have been suitably adapted for school students. This makes them particularly accessible for students of Classics. The performances are enlivened by her clever use of costume, variety of accents and vocabulary to represent the different characters she portrays and very clear voice projection — Our students responded very positively to her plays.”
Head of Classics High Storrs School, Sheffield

1. THE QUARREL

Eris, the goddess of strife, causes a quarrel at a wedding, which ultimately leads to the Greek king, Menelaus, declaring war on Troy.

2. ACHILLES

As a baby, the Greek Achilles was dipped in the magic River Styx so that his body could not be pierced by any weapon. He was able to perform many brave deeds and to the Trojans he seemed invincible. Nevertheless, in the end, he did die and in a most unexpected way.

3. PHILOCTETES

A Greek soldier, Philoctetes was abandoned on an island on the way to Troy. Later, when the Greeks were losing the war, it was predicted that only Philoctetes could save them. Odysseus and Diomedes were sent to fetch him. His arrival on the battlefield makes a dramatic and exciting story.

4. THE TROJAN HORSE

This, perhaps the most famous story of the war — originally written in Latin by Virgil the Roman — is developed to include the reasons for and the consequences of the building of the horse. A vigorous and, at times, bloodthirsty story as the Greeks finally overcome the Trojans.

5. THE CYCLOPS

On the way home from Troy Odysseus puts in first at the island of Ismarus, and then at the island of the Cyclops, where with the greatest difficulty he finally escapes from this man-eating, one-eyed giant.

6. AIOLOS AND THE LAISTRYGONIANS

Aiolos, the king of all the winds, gives Odysseus a gentle west wind to blow him safely back to Greece. Within sight of home, the sailors disobey Aiolos’ instructions, and are punished by the ship being blown far away to the island of the Laistrygonians, a race of monstrous cannibals.

7. THE SORCERESS CIRCE

Circe has many magical powers one of which is to change men into wild animals. She transforms Odysseus’ sailors into pigs but not Odysseus. This puts her in his power. He persuades Circe to turn the pigs back into men and they all live with Circe for many months.

8. THREE FEMALE MONSTERS

Odysseus persuades Circe to allow him and his sailors to leave her island, only to meet, in separate adventures, three female monsters, whose power of life and death exceeds even Circe’s. The stories of The Sirens, Charybdis and the Scylla are dramatically acted out as Odysseus narrowly escapes death each time.

9. DEATH OF THE SAILORS

Odysseus’ sailors offend the Sun god, Hyperion, and are punished by drowning in a storm at sea. Only Odysseus survives, but as he is swimming for his life, the sea monster Charybdis sees him and is determined to catch him in her whirlpool and watch him drown!

10. THE FINAL ADVENTURE

Odysseus manages at last to swim ashore on his beloved island of Ithaca. Disguising himself as a beggar, he goes home to his palace – where he meets with further life-threatening adventures.

CLASSICAL GREEK SERIES

The plays in this series last one hour each.

“With Mary’s Greek stories you get the facts of the original Greek story not a half true simplified version for children”

“The plays are easy for all ages to understand”

Comments from a pupils at Crich Carr Primary School Matlock Derbyshire sent by Anne Punchard, Headteacher

1. THESEUS

Theseus’ character is explored in his thrilling adventure with the Minotaur. A new and original insight to a traditional ancient Greek legend is dramatically portrayed.

2. DEMETER'S DAUGHTER

When Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, is kidnapped by Hades to be his queen in Tartarus — the Underworld — Demeter is beside herself with grief. However, all is not lost: rescue is at hand in a most surprising way. The different scenes are linked by poetry spoken by a chorus in traditional Greek drama style.

3. THE RETURN OF THE HERO

An hour long play about the return of Odysseus ten years after the Greeks won the Trojan War. This very exciting and dramatic story is captured in performance. Links in well with the new series: – “The Adventures of Odysseus”

4. THE UNWELCOME HERO

The Unwelcome Hero, lasting one hour, comprises elements of “The Final Adventure” from The Adventures of Odysseus and “The Return of The Hero”. This makes for a very exciting story of Odysseus’ return and explains the reasons why he returned alone, disguised as a beggar.

HISTORY ALIVE SERIES

The plays in this series based on modern and historical themes and are accurately researched. New plays on themes not listed can be commissioned.

The plays in this series last between 45 minutes – 1 hour.

The plays, ‘totally engaged the children. High levels of attention, concentration, interest, excitement, anticipation, and awe and wonder were maintained throughout’.

Veronica Anderson, Art and design co-ordinator Godshill Primary School Ventnor Isle of Wight

1. THE PARCEL FROM LONDON

The parcel contains some material sent to the Derbyshire village of Eyam. It carried the germ which brought the plague in 1665. A well researched play. Portrayed through the eyes of some of the villagers who survived.

2. THE NIGHTWORKERS

Two fast-moving and dramatic stories about smugglers 1735-1746. In one, a little girl sees her father murdered by the smugglers; the second play depicts the fall of the infamous Hawkhurst gang of Kent.

3. THE MACHINE BREAKERS

Two separate but exciting accounts of the Luddite raids of 1811 – 1812. A little girl watches her father and older brother being captured by the soldiers. The second story describes a failed raid on the mill of William Cartwright and the slaughter of the Luddites involved.

4. THE REAL PRINCESS

Set in Russia at the time of Alexander 1, the story follows a young prince’s adventures to find a wife. This exciting play captures well the authentic background and atmosphere of Tsarist Russia.

5. THE SECRET

Set in Victorian times, a family secret is revealed when the young son of a mine owner is seen working in the mine with all the other children.

6. THE MEETING

In 1910 an aristocratic Russian girl meets a peasant girl in the woods. Their very different lives are contrasted, but lead to a crisis when they meet again seven years later. A dramatic ending to an exciting play set in the turbulent atmosphere of those times.

7. MAMA PEPOV'S SPECIAL DAY

On Christmas Eve Mama Pepov is promised a visit from a special visitor the next day. She waits all day but he does not come. Or does he? Based on a short story by Tolstoy.

8. TO CATCH A THIEF

A tramp, Joachim, wrongly accused of theft, escapes from a prison cell, (helped by his wife), and then proves his innocence.