Dido's Bar: The Origin Myth

Welcome to the first in a mini-series of podcast episodes dedicated to the creation of our upcoming show Dido's Bar, planned for autumn 2022.

Dido's Bar is an immersive site-specific gig theatre production set in a cabaret bar on the borders of Europe that reimagines Virgil's Aeneid, exploring this timeless tale of migration through the lens of Europe today.

In this podcast episode, discover the myth of Aeneas, his dramatic flight from Troy, his doomed love affair with Dido and his founding of Rome, and how the myth has retained so much resonance and significance in the context of the questions facing society today. Delve into the inspirations behind the production itself, its origin story and its theatrical vision.

Featuring interviews with Josephine Burton, Dido's Bar creator and director; Shadi Bartsch, Guggenheim Laureate and award-winning translator of Penguin Random House's edition of The Aeneid; Liv Albert, creator, host and producer of popular Greek and Roman mythology podcast Let's Talk About Myths, Baby!; and Kurdish Iranian musician Marouf Majidi, Dido's Bar composer whose migration story partly inspired the production. 

Music credits

Music from Dido's Bar

Lyrics by Hattie Naylor

Music was created and recorded in the rehearsal room with Marouf Majidi, Samira Brahmia, Tuukka Leppänen, Riku Kantola and Josephine Burton at Meidän Festivaali with Globe Art Point for Dash Arts.

Songs featured: Love Spell; Sour Cherries

Intro music: Fakiiritanssi by Marouf Majidi

Link notes

The Aeneid, translated by Shadi Bartsch: https://shadibartsch.com/books/the-aeneid/

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