A radical outdoor revival of early-modern theatre, this is an unapologetically queer tale of love, magic, and the importance of welcoming outsiders. Set in a world where gods walk among the mortals, this unapologetically queer story follows different characters – all lost in the woods.
Two young trans people find love whilst escaping oppression; a shipwrecked migrant searches for his family; goddesses clash; parents fret; an alchemist brews magic and a teenage Cupid sets hearts on fire – causing chaos and near disaster. And all the while, time is running out!
Galatea was written in the 1580s by John Lyly, William Shakespeare’s best-selling but now long-forgotten contemporary, inspiring Shakespeare’s comedies from As You Like It to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Performed in front of Queen Elizabeth I over four hundred years ago, this tale of love, joy and the importance of welcoming outsiders is an incredibly resonant story for modern times.
Commissioned by Brighton Festival for its world premiere, this ambitious outdoor production is a major collaboration between award-winning queer theatre maker, Emma Frankland; LGBTQIA+ culture catalysts, Marlborough Productions; acclaimed Cornish landscape theatre company, Wildworks; and leading theatre historian, Andy Kesson.
Newly adapted by Emma Frankland and Subira Joy, edited by Andy Kesson with BSL translation support by Duffy – Galatea will be performed by a large company in spoken English and British Sign Language.
Dynamic and genre-defying – you’re not going to want to miss this radical revival of early-modern theatre’s best-kept secret.
