Shakespeare’s tragedy Troilus and Cressida is set in the years of the trojan war. Greece is at a stalemate with the Trojans and Achilles refuses to participate in a battle to the death with Hector. Troilus and Cressida and two Trojans who amongst the turmoil, fall deeply in love. When Cressida is exchanged for a Trojan prisoner of war, Troilus, seeking to find her dicovers Diomedes flirting with her, and he plunges into despair.
Although the lovers give the name of the play, much of the focus is on Achilles and Priam and the politics of war.
York Shakespeare Project takes ‘Troilus and Cressida’ and relocates it to York in 1644. The English Civil War keeps the drama of the Trojan War exploring the mix of conflict, romance and chivalry in a new environment. The production combines period music, live accompaniment, singing and exhilarating combat. York Shakespeare Project aims to perform all of Shakespeare’s known plays in York over a span of 20 years, providing an educational aspect in each of the plays. Troilus and Cressida promises a memorable evening of one of Shakespeare’s most ambiguous and intriguing plays.
