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From the author's 'Preface/Welcome' to the book: "In this book I shall be giving an account of an approach I have been using in the studio over a number of years, and which I have developed through a longer period studying the theatricality of ancient Greek tragedy. [ ...] "While I would hope that you might work happily as an actor from this book without already knowing much in advance about Greek tragedy or the ancient theatre, I would recommend that you do take a good look at the broader picture. I am going to assume that you will find out elsewhere about the three tragic playwrights, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and the relationship between performers and audience expressed in the ancient playing-space, amongst other important information. There are many ways of doing that, but you can find informative guidance in my own A Short Introduction to the Ancient Greek Theater, which is published by the University of Chicago Press, and is readily available." With a strong interest in the performance of ancient Greek tragedy, Graham Ley's short text explores the dynamics of physical interaction between performers and of the dramaturgical construction of scenes. The aim is to compare how Greek tragedies are performed today, in contained studio spaces, with how they were originally performed, in open-air theatres. Ley argues that spatial distinctions between ancient and modern theatres are not significant, as core dramatic energy can be placed successfully in either context.
