Play for study: Lysistrata

Lysistrata is a long-established set text for Edexcel at A Level. The anti-war comedy is set against the backdrop of the Peloponnesian wars which raged for nearly 30 years between the Ancient Greeks. Written by Aristophanes and believed to have been first performed in 411BC, it follows the women of opposing Athenian and Spartan sides attempting to bring an end to the fighting. As a way to incite reconciliation, the women withdraw all sexual privileges from the men, persuaded to do so by the eponymous character, Lysistrata. As the men become increasingly frustrated by their enforced abstinence they enter into negotiations, eventually bringing about resolution to the war and unity between the sexes. Yet, as scholars have argued, the ‘make love not war’ message which dominates many interpretations masks a more serious political point; the infighting renders Greece weak, which was useful for their foreign enemies. A message that perhaps has renewed relevance on the current world stage riddled by war and political squabbling.

Performance context

Lysistrata is an Ancient Greek ‘Old Comedy’, which characteristically pushed boundaries with its daring political critique, sexual innuendos and a heroine who represents a marginalised group in society. In its original context, Lysistrata was performed by men in Athens as part of the festivals that honoured the god Dionysus. The performances took place in large amphitheatres, carved into the mountainsides. Around 10,000 audience members were welcomed, regardless of gender or class.

Themes

Core to the plot, the theme of sex runs through the play and is often the source of much comedy. Lysistrata is full of bawdy expressions of desire, as the women pledge to dress seductively, which provides the men with an ultimate distraction from the war. Visually and referenced in the text, the men's increasingly large and erect phalluses offer both amusement and a reminder of what is being sacrificed.

War is another key theme at the centre of the text, with conflict between characters throughout. There are also those who share Aristophanes's dream of a better, more peaceful, war-free society.

Solidarity as a theme is also worthy of exploration, particularly in light of the current landscape of industrial action and strikes around the UK. The women withholding sex from the men is ultimately what leads to the end of the war, but this conclusion is only made possible by their uncompromising union. Gender roles are at the forefront of this play, which is another obvious topic to discuss with students. Lysistrata and the women take over the traditionally (Athenian) male space of the Acropolis, in order to prevent the men getting at money to fund the war. They are all too aware of how the patriarchy has shaped them; one character cynically comments that her role is to keep her husband ‘in good tempers’.

Staging

In Lysistrata’s original performance context, the Acropolis and other stage set would have been minimal. Nonetheless, performances were not void of visual symbolism such as the presence of a 24-member chorus physically reflecting the battle of the sexes. In keeping with Old Comedy, the chorus members are split, which in Lysistrata is into competing (old) male and female sides. In addition, Aristophanes indicates props to be used. For example, the old men lug in ‘loads of wood’ which they intend to use to burn the Acropolis. This is matched by the women's pitchers of water they carry to thwart their action. In Germaine Greer's 2000 production of Lysistrata, the set was moved from the Acropolis to a bath house, described as ‘cartoon-like’ and the characters were played as ‘archetypes’.

Practitioners’ methods

If studying the play with KS5 students, various practitioners’ methods could work as a lens for interpreting the text. Boal's Columbian Hypnosis as an off-text exercise might offer a way of thinking about staging the women's control of the men. Equally, taking Emma Rice's use of games in rehearsal, like Grandma's footsteps, could generate a sense of unity. Rice's approach to all texts as a story, getting students to mind map what they instinctively feel and what problems they have with the play, could act as a way of getting to know the text. For design ideas, looking at the use of digital technology such as that used by Complicité or use of a live camera feed similar to Ivan van Hove's productions could help students envisage creating different locations on stage.

Recent interpretations of the play include Theatre Lab Company's updated setting from the Peloponnesian War to modern Europe, where the women take over the financial quarter of a city, underscored with a contemporary soundtrack and costumes. The Bristol Old Vic, the Lyric Hammersmith and the National Theatre of Greece have all presented reworked versions of Lysistrata in the last few years, suggesting there is plenty of life in the story for today's students and audiences.

Resources:

• Edexcel (2017). Lysistrata set text guide. Available at: bit.ly/3KkwnHC

• Henderson, J. (2010). Three Plays by Aristophanes: staging women. Routledge.

• Open University (2014). Lysistrata-Greek Plays (1/2). Available at: bit.ly/3KkimcN

• Stuttard, D. (2013). Looking at Lysistrata: eight essays and a new version of Aristophanes’ provocative comedy. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.