Our Ajax, Southwark Playhouse

A modern reworking of a classic, Our Ajax is as epic as it is urgent. Olivier Award-winning playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker has given Sophocles’ Greek tragedy a modern twist, linking it to the experiences of current and former servicemen and women and setting it in a desert plain – possibly in Afghanistan.

The original story is a classic tale of shame and thwarted revenge, chronicling the fate of the eponymous Ajax, a Greek warrior and the cousin of Achilles, following the events of the Iliad. 

Wertenbaker is a hot name at the moment, with this world premiere following the West End revival of Our Country’s Good , her play about 18th century convicts in Australia. She has a strong track record with the classics, having translated and adapted several plays by Sophocles and Euripides. Her script is paired with director David Mercatali, a Southwark Playhouse regular and an associate of the theatre. 

Our Ajax also boasts a stellar cast, featuring Olivier Award-winning Joe Dixon, perhaps most recognisable from,  The Mummy Returns,  Fresh Meat ’s Gemma Chan, and Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Adam Riches. 

Tickets: £16, concessions £14

Address and Map: 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

Underground: Elephant & Castle