We have just bought for Theatre Odyssey a brand new projector. But while surfing I managed find a video on googlevideos which shows just how great it is. I particularly like to comments on how it's a 'sexy' projector, with a 'slim body', and that it is 'just like a fish - you can imagine it swimming through the water'. Even the opening comment of the projector 'projecting you into the future' is brilliant and insightful! :-) Here it is - enjoy!!!!

One of the things we're trying to encourage lately is more integration among those of us in the Theatre Odyssey 'community', if you want to call it that.
On Friday night in the Byre Theatre of St Andrews we're having the (first-ever?) Theatre Odyssey Social; people are arriving around 6.30pm but we'll likely be there later than that. If you have ever had anything to do with Theatre Odyssey at all, then come along and see us. It'll be good for everyone to meet properly. Come have a drink and a chat.
Also, to keep the Theatre Odyssey people talking, I think it's a great idea to join the Theatre Odyssey forum or the Facebook Page (Theatre Odyssey - link in the nav bar on the left), or to use the chatroom even...
If you have any questions about Theatre Odyssey, what we do, who we are, and why, please just give us a shout - or, as always, you can email me at john@theatreodyssey.com

JT

As a welcome distraction from examining (which, though interesting, is slightly gruelling when you read the hundredth essay on Senegalese women's right in Mariama Ba), I have done a little work on the website this morning.

There is now a new 'fun stuff' page with, well, fun stuff on it - if you find anything else you'd like to see linked to this page, post a comment here and I'll upi

Well some of you might be wondering why on my Twitter it was clear that I went to Windsor on Wednesday. I'm not going to tell you. I just feel like keeping you on tenterhooks.
What I do want to mention though is that I flew in and out of Terminal 5. How deeply concerning that was. I HATE the iris scanning system they have there now, and the white sterile environment makes you feel, as officials bark orders at you to take off your shoes, jackets and belts, that you are probably a criminal before you even begin. Protection of the country and all that, but really - is this all necessary?
When I got through the stringent security, having been frisked but an enormous security guard, I found millions of multi-national shops, a branch of Harrods bigger than Harrods itself, and an HMV that had only a small selection of CDs, as there was a download centre in the corner.  Fair enough, but some of us LIKE buying the real CD, and having the physical disk.
Really, we are becoming too de-localised. What would Sophocles make of this? What comment would Euripides make on our depersonalised society with its worrying deterioration of friendliness?
At least I got a soggy salad on the plane... good old BA. They made up for the lack of tea with the Queen, who sadly wasn't in when I called.

You might not see me much this week as I am involved a lot in StAnza - Scotland's International Poetry Festival. It's huge and will involved such personalities as Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy and Bill Manhire (New Zealand's Poet Laureate)
I have just found out today that we've secured Bill Manhire to come to St Leonards to do a workshop with my Y8 students, which is brilliant, and I am really looking forward to that.
StAnza is now on twitter so try following @stanzapoetry, @stanzapoetrywit or @stanzapoetrypress, or me at @theatreodyssey. Tag your tweets with #sta09.
The website was down today - sorry about that, but it seems Weebly was apparently doing some construction work. Their hard hats seem to be away now though, so hopefully that doesn't happen too often.
Join the FORUM or comment on this blog to say hi, so I know who you are! I have no idea who reads this and who doesn't!

Well, they havn't disappointed me with their music. This is an AWESOME song.

But I did hear them interviewed on Radio 1 about the song, and they were going on about the story of the Odyssey, and how Odysseus (Ulysees, Latinised) got lost on his way back from the Trojan War (all true), but thought 'Hey, you know what, since I'm lost, I might as well enjoy it!'

This completely missed the point, Franz Ferdinand. He does NOT enjoy himself (even while being seduced by various goddesses - a tough life, one might think). Instead, Odysseus / Ulysses spends his whole 10 year journey back home weeping. His men weep continually, and so does he. He weeps sitting by the sea on Kalypso's island because he misses his home, his family and his wife. He weeps with Alkinoos on Scherie because he can't bring himself to tell his tale...

An interesting interpretation (and I am one for interpreting Classics in a modern and funky way), but please, tell people it's your interpretation, and make sure that you get your facts a wee bit right lads, would you?

What happened to me? I never used to be as picky and pretentious as this - perhaps it's old age...

JT x

There's a new proforma on the Committee Documents page for writing up your minutes, those on you on Theatre Odyssey committees etc...

Then you can upload your minutes to the minutes page (once on Weebly, click on the Pages tab, then choose the Minutes page, and click on edit),

JT x

I don't think I had quite fathomed how diverse the internet is. Through the new iGoogle desktop-style internet, I am encountering all sorts of fun!

While having a stinker of a cold, and having spent most of today laying on the sofa in front of the TV (apart from writing three sets of reports this evening), I have found some rather enjoyable blogs.

Try Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, and Boris Johnson's blogs, for instance, or tune into FRUK (Folk Radio UK at folkradio.co.uk). A veritable bunfight of enjoyment and fun await you there.

You can, of course, also click on the feed button to the right, to add this blog to your iGoogle, if you have it. Then you don't even need to log on to the website to see what ramblings I have going at the moment.

One more thing - if you're interested in Classics in any way, join our FORUM (link on the nav bar to left) - make a profile and get chatting.

And oh, yes, you can also RSS Feed the forum to your iGoogle!

Enough brambling (blog-rambling?) for tonight...

JT x

The Grecologues, scheduled for the end of April, has been delayed until September or October due to reasons beyond Theatre Odyssey's control.

We are certain you won't mind this delay, and will come along to see Orpheus as a rock star, Daedalus as a hot-air balloon enthusiast, and Tiresias as a hermaphroditical receptionist for a plastic suregon's office!

If you want any more details about the Grecologues, email us on grec@theatreodyssey.com

JT

One of our Grecologues, 'Tiresias', in which the original character is reincarnated as a hermaphroditical  male receptionist for a plastic surgeon's office, may be reincarnated itself as a operetta.
Brian Craib, the composer of the music for the 'Mythodyssey' series and  the Bradfield Greek Play 2006 'Medea', is keen to begin developing this come the summer.
Watch this space....!