Galatea Production Announced!

We’re incredibly excited to be presenting the world premiere of Emma Frankland’s Galatea, commissioned by and as part of Brighton Festival, from the 5-21 May, 2023.

The work of Shakespeare’s best-selling but now long forgotten contemporary John Lyly, will be brought vividly to life at the Adur Recreation Ground in Shoreham-by-Sea this Spring in a radical revival of his early modern play Galatea, adapted by Emma Frankland and Subira Joy and edited by theatre historian Andy Kesson, in a brand new production that fuses together groundbreaking research and experimental theatre. The production will be co-directed and designed by Mydd Pharo of Cornish landscape theatre company Wildworks and presented by Marlborough Productions.

Set in a world where gods walk among the mortals, this unapologetically queer story follows different characters – all lost in the woods. Two young trans people find love whilst escaping oppression; a shipwrecked migrant searches for his family; goddesses clash; parents fret; an alchemist brews magic and a teenage Cupid sets hearts on fire – causing chaos and near disaster.

Galatea was written in the 1580s and performed in front of Queen Elizabeth I. Now, this tale of love, joy and the importance of welcoming outsiders will be introduced to new audiences as a resonant story for modern times. An ambitious, outdoor, large-scale collaboration between Emma Frankland, Marlborough Productions, Wildworks and the brand new research project Diverse Alarums, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, we are so proud and cannot wait for this epic revival of Galatea.

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Adur Recreation Ground, Brighton Rd, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5LT

Preview: Friday 5 May, 8pm

Saturday 6th – Sunday 21st May (Wednesday-Sunday), 8pm

Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th May, 2pm.

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Galatea by John Lyly

Newly Adapted by Emma Frankland and Subira Joy

Edited by Andy Kesson with BSL translation support from Duffy

Commissioned by Brighton Festival

Presented by Marlborough Productions

Co-Produced by Emma Frankland, Marlborough Productions, Wildworks and Andy Kesson

Supported by Arts Council England, Arts & Humanities Research Council, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Hall for Cornwall, 101 Creation Space, Jerwood Arts, National Theatre’s Generate programme, TIDE and Box Office Bears.

Video description in YouTube details.