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FOUND: Aristophanes - What They Never Told You

Where did the ancient Greeks and Romans think lightning came from? Hint: not just the gods

Is it any wonder ancient people thought lightning came from the gods? Even today a close lightning strike feels like a terrifying brush with the supernatural.

The Conversation

An existentialist philosopher on why we should not let fear dictate love

Let’s begin with a story from the beginnings of western philosophy that doesn’t sit well with existentialist thought.

The Conversation

Andy Zaltzman: ‘Aristophanes is total comedy: political satire, slapstick and dick jokes’

The standup on studying Ancient Greek comedy at university, his worst gig and having the test scores shouted at him during sets

The Guardian - UK

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The Frogs at Southwark Playhouse review: bursting with unfulfilled promise

3/5 Stephen Sondheim’s weirdest show gets its moment in the spotlight

Evening Standard

How theater can save democracy

Voting isn't nearly enough — we need a communal process for democratic decision-making. Just ask the Athenians

Salon

What does Platonic love really mean?

If the object of your affection were to suggest that a “platonic” relationship might be of more interest to them, your heart might sink a little. The common understanding of Platonic love, so called after the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, is that it indicates a relationship of strong affection from…

The Conversation

Madonna Funds Artistic Project For Youths In Pompeii

Madonna funds 'Sogno di Volare' project re-adapting Aristophanes' comedies for youths in Pompeii, providing opportunities and promoting arts and culture.

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The Frogs review – Spymonkey’s search for ancient comedy and catharsis

The Aristophanes play is interwoven with the theatre company’s personal quest in a ramshackle show that loses its way

The Guardian - UK

A funny thing happened on the way here: comedians get personal about their backstage dramas

In their new shows, anarchic theatre company Spymonkey and sketch duo Max and Ivan place the spotlight on their own lives more than ever before

The Guardian - UK

Valentine's Day: a brief history of the soulmate – and why it's a limited concept

One of the difficult things about working on the philosophy of love is that human relationships change, but our dominant images of love tend to remain the same.

The Conversation

Do sex strikes ever work? We ask an expert

Women withholding sex as a political tactic is part of the bigger picture of women’s rights and bodily autonomy, says cultural critic and classicist Helen Morales

The Guardian - UK

A cuckoo: it’s the Tories’s cloud cuckoo land, we’re just living in it

‘It’s crazy, silly, nuts, wacky, cuckoo, potty, daft, cracked, dippy, bonkers – the list goes on’

The Guardian - AU

What is love? In pop culture, love is often depicted as a willingness to sacrifice, but ancient philosophers took a different view

Woven through Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi’s latest contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a sentimental and age-old commentary on mortality and love.

The Conversation

Batting for Godot: the play about Beckett and Pinter teaming up for a game of cricket

The two titans of modern drama were both cricket obsessives. What if they had faced the fast bowlers together? Playwright Shomit Dutta explains why he made it happen – with darkly comic drama Stumped

The Guardian - UK

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