October 2026 Play Reading “The Cure at Troy” by Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney’s “The Cure at Troy” is a contemporary retelling of Sophocles’ Philoctetes. Abandoned on the island of Lemnos after being wounded, Philoctetes is approached nine years later by the Greeks, who have discovered that they need his help to win the Trojan War.

Written against the backdrop of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the play explores moral dilemmas, friendship, suffering and the possibility of healing old wounds.

The reading will be introduced by Dr Anna-Rose Shack from the University of Freiburg. Come along to read or simply listen and enjoy. Open to members and non-members—no registration required.