Siân Phillips & Stephen Greif in Just A Little Murder

Siân Phillips and Stephen Greif lead us on a journey through the looking glass of ancient Greece to reveal beguiling female sensitivity and tough hardened masculinity, a heady cocktail that often leads to lust.

In an afternoon where laughter is underscored with searing pathos, Phillips and Greif interact brilliantly to weave moments of wit and humour with wisdom and high drama. So, whether you prefer tears and treachery, sex and seduction, murder, or the riot of emotions that lie in-between; this is a must-see show.

Director David Stuttard’s translations of Greek poetry and drama are bang up-to-date – so fresh they might have been written yesterday. For fact is, the ancient Greeks may be long gone, but they saw it all. And human nature and emotions have changed not one jot.

Tears, Treachery… and Just A Little Murder is performed by two of the most outstanding actors of their generation.

Dame Siân Phillips was born and brought up in Wales. Her many stage roles at the RSC, the National and in the West End have ranged from Shakespeare, Wilde and Shaw to new plays and musicals such as Pal Joey, Cabaret and A Little Night Music.

Stephen Greif has worked extensively in the Theatre at The RSC, The Prospect Theatre (Richard II and Edward II) and with many seasons at The National and at The Old Vic under Laurence Olivier (Death of a Salesman) and on the South Bank under Peter Hall and Nicholas Hytner (His Dark Materials).

Siân Phillips

Siân Phillips was born and brought up in Wales. She won the National Eisteddfod at the age of 11 and started broadcasting the same year. She took a degree at the University of Wales and at the same time became an announcer and newsreader at the BBC and a leading member of the Arts Council’s company in an attempt to found a national theatre of Wales. She toured playing Welsh versions of Chekhov and new plays by Saunders Lewis. Subsequently, she trained at RADA where she was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal. Her many stage roles at the RSC, the National and in the West End have ranged from Shakespeare, Wilde and Shaw to new plays and musicals such as Pal Joey, Cabaret and A Little Night Music. She is a multiple Olivier, Tony and Drama Desk nominee and has been awarded Baftas for her television work and Lifetime Achievement awards for radio drama and Welsh television. Her acclaimed two-part autobiography Private Faces and Public Places (Hodder) will be re-issued this autumn. She was made CBE and the DBE and is a Member of the Welsh Gorsedd of Bards of Great Britain.

Stephen Greif

Stephen is a RADA Honours Graduate and Kendal and Emil Littler award Winner for Best Actor. He has worked extensively in the Theatre at The RSC, The Prospect Theatre (Richard II and Edward II (with Ian Mackellan) and with many seasons at The National Theatre at The Old Vic under Laurence Olivier and on the South Bank under Peter Hall and Nicholas Hytner. He won best actor nominations in the Laurence Olivier and the London Critics awards for Death of a Salesman and Saturday Sunday Monday respectively. His West End Work includes Fallen Angels opposite Felicity Kendal and Francis De La Tour and Reflected Glory opposite Albert Finney. His vast body of TV work includes The Alienist, The Crown (both for Netflix), Sewers of Gold, New Tricks, Coronation St, Eastenders, Blake’s 7 and Citizen Smith. Films include Risen, Casanova, Spartan and most recently Gerry with Joan Collins. He won the BBC Audio award for his narration of The Boy with the Magic Numbers by Sally Gardner. Details of his wide range of Radio and Voice work is available, together with further other credits, at his website www.stephengreif.com

David Stuttard

David Stuttard is a writer, lecturer, theatre director, dramaturg and Fellow of Goodenough College, London, who also serves on the advisory board of The Transatlantic Forum for Education and Diplomacy (TFED). His most recent book, Phoenix, about the Persian Wars and Rise of Athens, was published by Harvard University Press earlier this year.

‘Over the past twenty-five years, no-one has done more than Stuttard to keep classical Greek drama alive on the English stage. Stuttard’s translations of Medea, The Bacchae and Lysistrata are among the best contemporary performance texts of Greek plays’ (Literary Review).

‘David Stuttard is a classicist well-known for translating and directing Greek plays. His career represents an admirable commitment to popularising classical culture and making it accessible to new non-specialist audiences’ (Current World Archaeology). More at www.davidstuttard.com