Persians

Little Daggers, an actor training initiative by Happy Dagger in association with Little y Theatre, brings to the PICA stage the world premiere of the newest translation of the oldest play in history. As part of The Blue Room Theatre’s Summer Nights series during Fringe World, a cast of twelve performers will take the audience back to the reasons theatre began - catharsis and connection. When everything you love has been lost, how do you begin to grieve? Originally written around 472 BC by Aeschylus, and translated in 2011 by Aaron Poochigian, Persians takes place in Susa, Iran during the height of the Persian Empire. Women and children are anxiously awaiting the return of their husbands, sons and fathers from the largest expedition ever undertaken. King Xerxes has sent every man in the empire to conquer Greece. They've been gone too long... Under the direction of award-winning Perth actor and director Andrew Hale, the show is physical and raw, connecting the audience to the human experience of grief. “This is a very big show in every sense, with a large cast, a big physicality, giant themes, and extreme emotion. It’s raw and honest,” Hale said. "Persians will be like nothing else at Fringe. In fact, it's like nothing else happening in Perth theatre right now,” co-producer Georgia King said. Persians is the first collaboration between Happy Dagger Theatre, who created the award-winning production Oleanna and the much talked about The York Crucifixion, and Little y Theatre Company - fresh from their sell out season of Slut and the critically acclaimed Scent Tales. See 300 from the other side.