Our Ajax

by Timberlake Wertenbaker, Sophocles (Original author)

Torn between army politics and the love of his soldiers on the front line, a legendary leader spirals out of control.Inspired by Sophocles' classical play, Our Ajax draws on interviews with contemporary servicemen and women to create a modern epic of heroism, love and homeland.Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Ajax premiered at the Southwark Playhouse, London, in November 2014.

Genres: Plays

Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2013

Reviews

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good adaptation of Sophocles' Ajax, playing up the concern with PTSD that is already evident in the Sophocles version (but which the Greeks didn't understand in the same way that we do now). Wertenbaker democratizes the trauma in a very effective way by showing that not only Ajax is suffering, but his soldiers and the other members of the army are suffering flashbacks, hallucinations, night terrors, etc. At the same time, these very real psychological and emotional experiences are in tension with a macho military culture that refuses to deal with PTSD as a genuine human experience, preferring to diminish it, hide it, or disavow it (often with crude sexual humor). And by setting this play in Afghanistan, Wertenbaker makes it even more overt that these failures to adequately deal with psychological trauma from combat remain contemporary issues.
https://youtu.be/K-hV-T7uBD8

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable adaptations. Well written and modernised to the right degree. The way that they included both the ideas of gods in the traditional sense as well as bringing in modern attributes including youtube was fascinating. The issue in it for me was some of it didn’t flow. Rather similar to the original but it took away from the message. If i didn’t know the story already I think it would have been lower for me.
3.5 🌟

[emi · Rating 4 out of 5]

i feel like i say this about every play i’m reading for my greek tragedy class but this was honestly so gooood