Theatre of War

Classical tragedy is timelessly powerful - not only does it still move us, but it heals, too. Bryan Doerries produces performances of Greek tragedies for soldiers returned from conflict, addicts, prison communities, victims of natural disasters, and other vulnerable people. His dramatisations have explored how the story of Sophocles' Ajax can help today's soldiers and their loved ones grapple with trauma; why people in the penal system are liberated by Prometheus Bound; and how Heracles has changed the way that some doctors manage end-of-life care. In drawing on such extraordinarily intimate experiences, and in telling his own story of loss and learning, Doerries illustrates the redemptive potential of one of the oldest human art-forms, and the power of re-enacting. The Theatre of War is a passionate, humane, and purposeful book that shows how suffering and healing are part of an eternally replicable process, and argues that the great tragedies of the Greeks can still light a clear path forward through contemporary society's most tangled issues. PRAISE FOR BRYAN DOERRIES'Heart-gripping Mr Doerries staged excerpts from the Greek plays for war veterans and their commanders, prison guards and prisoners, and others, followed by forums. The results, as he recounts in fluent, agile prose, upheld his belief that communal exposure to the power of the Greek tragedies can be a profoundly useful healing tool.' The New York Times'The themes are timeless Doerries examines both suffering and healing in this new, albeit ancient light.' The New Statesman