Slow Train to Izmir
Encyclopedia
Slow Train to Izmir is a play written by Mark Angus. It has been performed at the Southwark Playhouse
, where it was directed by Maggie Zolinsky. The play is based on a true story and focuses on the Anglo-Dutch archaeologist James Mellaart
. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was accused of, in turn, stealing an invaluable collection of Neolithic artefacts found near Dorak in Turkey, and then, ultimately, of fabricating their entire existence. The play deals with the Turkish press' attempts both to recover the treasure and to expose Mellaart - and the western archaeology 'industry' - as corrupt. The city mentioned in the title is İzmir
, Turkey.
The production at the Southwark Playhouse starred Robert Bowman, Anna-Marie Wayne
, and Paul Croft.
Southwark Playhouse
-History:Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice, Tom Wilson & Mehmet Ergen. They identified the need for a high quality accessible theatre which would also act as a major resource for the community...
, where it was directed by Maggie Zolinsky. The play is based on a true story and focuses on the Anglo-Dutch archaeologist James Mellaart
James Mellaart
James Mellaart is a British archaeologist and author who is noted for his discovery of the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkey. He was also expelled from Turkey suspected of involvement with the antiquities black market and was involved with the so-called Mother goddess controversy in...
. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was accused of, in turn, stealing an invaluable collection of Neolithic artefacts found near Dorak in Turkey, and then, ultimately, of fabricating their entire existence. The play deals with the Turkish press' attempts both to recover the treasure and to expose Mellaart - and the western archaeology 'industry' - as corrupt. The city mentioned in the title is İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, Turkey.
The production at the Southwark Playhouse starred Robert Bowman, Anna-Marie Wayne
Anna-Marie Wayne
Anna-Marie Wayne is a British actress who began her career on TV and stage at an early age and has subsequently worked in film also...
, and Paul Croft.
External links
- inSEI1 - brief magazine blurb about the play's performance
- http://www.annamariewayne.com- the website of the actress Anna-Marie Wayne
- http://www.newcriminologist.co.uk/author.asp?bio=-1011759450 - a brief biography of the playwright Mark Angus in The Criminologist
- http://www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol2no1/angus.html - an article by the playwright Mark Angus on Sophokles' Antigone in the online academic journal Didaskalia - Ancient Theater Today