The creative team had recast Plato's Symposium as a dramatic performance. Prof Gesine Manuwald: Professor of Latin Head of Department The wonderful performance showed the gripping character of this dialogue and the timelessness of the issues discussed, and it enabled audiences to experience how engaging philosophy can be. This year’s UCL Greek Play was not a ‘play’ in the narrow sense and rather a creative dramatic adaptation of Plato’s Symposium. Dr Maddalena Italia: Leverhulme Research Fellow Although the actors did not swerve from Plato's text, their drinking-and-talking party felt timely, thought-provoking and occasionally heartrending - quite unlike the echo of a faded ancient feast. Clever directorial choices and unfailing acting panache were backed by sleek costumes and minimalist scenography, though with very welcome concessions to playfulness, fun and even satire.

In fact, I often surprised myself thinking that, paradoxically, Plato's philosophical dialogue lent itself to be recast as a piece of modern drama in a more seamless way than many Greek tragedies and comedies. I couldn't have put it better myself: everything just worked well in the Symposium, starting from the decision to stage it as a theatrical performance. I saw Plato come alive,' roared my friend as we walked back to Euston Square, still vibrating with emotion after an evening with 'Socrates and friends' - all of whom, in a very successful twist, were impersonated by women. This is a party any woman would want to gate-crash. Envy, jelousy, love, friendship as well as the complex ideas surrounding these themes are all there in the beautiful translation by Christopher Gill though presented with subtle irony, in a sort of in-and-out of character mode that while discussing the ethics of desire also questions the ways in which this is done. The humoristic and at times sarcastic tone undercutting the whole production together the theatrically effective choice of an all-women cast to dramatise an all-men party spoke volumes of the many (creatively) interesting ways in which this production picks up on some of the most topical issues around the Greek and Latin 'classics' and their turbulent reception history as well as 'status'. This year's Classical Play at UCL's Bloomsbury Theatre was funny, interesting and innovative for a number of reasons - firstly in its choice of text, Plato's Symposium, a dramatic text, sure, though in a rather different way from what is normally put on, being neither a tragedy nor a comedy.

The Symposium by Plato