Upstaged at Epidaurus
Sir: My stomach turned when I read Sheri- dan Morley's review of the National The- atre's production of Oedipus at Epidaurus (7 September). The 'locals' (just a hair's- breadth short of 'natives), whom Mr Mor- ley accuses of wishing `to ban all live per- formances of any kind and turn the site entirely over to the tourists', are eminent archaeologists, respected internationally, who devote their lives to the care and restoration of the remaining monuments such as the theatre of Epidaurus.
What they are trying to do is to protect the monuments from the excesses of stage designers and, occasionally, directors, who in their wish to upstage the author and the actors invent ever more outrageous effects. Peter Hall is not responsible for the bra- ziers. It was a Greek stage designer — a short, pompous poseur who would not miss an opportunity for publicity, Mr Morley was obviously not told that the same man demanded that a scaffolding used for the restoration of the ancient gates to the the- atre should be dismantled to allow for the extension of his set.
Finally, it is simply daft to believe that `the locals' were afraid that the stones would catch fire. But black smoke does not improve porous stone.
Telemaque Maratos
23 Herodou Attikou, Athens, Greece
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