Orpheus

by Kenneth McLeish

A 21st Century interpretation of the ancient myth of Orpheus written in the lyrical style of Greek tragedy. Commissioned by the Actors Touring Company, Orpheus opened with shows Ireland and in Greece and was followed by a full UK tour in 1997.

80 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

John Kenneth Tyrrell McLeish, known as Kenneth McLeish was a British writer, playwright and translator. McLeish, "the most widely respected and prolific translator of drama in Britain", translated all the surviving classical Greek plays, most plays by Henrik Ibsen and Georges Feydeau, and individual plays by Plautus, Molière, Alfred Jarry, August Strindberg, Ödön von Horváth and Eugène Labiche.

Reviews

[emnello · Rating 3 out of 5]

[read 28/09/2025] Curious little play. Written in the style of the old Euripidean tragedies - and in that vein much of the action takes place offstage. Moments of excellence, with a denouement I’ll certainly be stewing on. Odd choice to never allow Orpheus to sing on stage - though I suppose that can be at the discretion of the director. 3.5 - Unsure what to rate this but certainly intend on rereading!