NUTS Presents: The Frogs by Aristophanes

Dionysus, the god of theatre, wine, and many other things, feels as if Athens has fallen from its former glory. He is unhappy with the poets and playwrights that are alive. To restore Athens, and the genre of tragedy, Dionysus hatches a plan to bring Euripides back from the underworld. Dragging his servant Xanthias with him, they begin a bizarre journey to cross into Hades. Faced with monsters, frogs, religious cults and corpses, the pair reach Pluto’s Palace, only to find out that tensions between Aeschylus and Euripides have brought about questions of who truly deserves the chair of Tragedy, marking them as the superior tragic writer. To solve this dilemma, Dionysus hosts a competition to decide who will return to the overworld with him.  Through its bizarre comic story, The Frogs explores authority, and the illogical behaviour of those in power and the value that individuals have placed on the ‘superiority’ of traditional values. 

Based on the translation by David Barrett, edited and adapted by Zoe Berg and Anastasia Dougenis  

CAST

Dionysus: Cinnamon Howearth

Xanthias: Mitchell Dihm

Aeschylus: Samantha Saunders

Euripides: Beatrice Upton-Oettel

Aeacus: Brooke Benyon

Heracles: Liam Verity

Charon: Rory Coverdale

Pluto: Abigail Pierce

Corpse: Jasmine Ho 

Landlord: Julian Kumar

Landlady: Laura Elaine

Maid to Persephone: Trintiy Ray

Servant of Pluto: Kiri Kerr

Chorus: Will Stacey, Charlie Scanlon

CREW

Directors: Anastasia Dougenis & Zoe Berg

Producers: Isobel Holland & Dylan Abadee

Stage Manager: Alex Mouhtouris

Co-Asst. Stage Manager + Publicity Head: Susie Pretty

Co-Asst. Stage Manager: Jack Wormald

Set designer: Melinda Knight

Stage hand + Asst. Set: Tom Jenkins 

Lead Design: Michelle Chandra 

Technical Manager: Grey Batson

Lighting Design: Henri Collyer 

Asst. Lighting: Sasha Bilanovsky 

Sound Design: Abigail Pierce & Alex Paterson

Asst. Pubs: Kimia Nojoumian

Graphic Design: Kairav Dontamsetti

Props Master + Photography: Dom Young

Costumes: Cinnamon Howearth

Asst. Costumes: Lucy Jeong

PLEASE NOTE: Doors open at 6:45, doors close at 7. Please aim to arrive by 6:40pm. For Saturday, doors open at 4:45 and close at 5. Please aim to arrive by 4:40pm.

CONTENT WARNINGS: This show contains sexual references, references to torture and death, religious themes, misogynistic language and undertones, water-based theatrical haze, and bright flashing lights that may impact people with epilepsy.