Dimetos

Dimetos is a play by Athol Fugard (1932-2025).

The original text

Deeply metaphoric and not always well understood play, Dimetos is set in Greece. It utilizes what Fugard has called a "personal myth", inspired by a short entry in the notebooks of Algerian philosopher, author, and journalist Albert Camus (1913-1960) [1], to look at notions of creativity, duty and the destructive forces of human passion.

Originally commissioned for the 1975 Edinburgh Festival, performed by Yvonne Bryceland and the Serpent Players, where it officially opened in the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh on 27 August 1975. The text was revised in 1976.

First published in Dimetos and Two Early Plays by Oxford University Press, 1977.

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

1975: The first production directed and designed by Fugard, with Carel Trichardt (Dimetos, an engineer), Vanessa Cooke (Lydia, his niece), Yvonne Bryceland (Sophia, their housekeeper) and Wilson Dunster (Danilo, a young man from the city), from 4 - 9 August 1975. Lighting and stage management by Dimitri Nicolas-Fanourakis. The production first ran at The Space (Cape Town) during final rehearsals, while Fugard still changed, wrote and re-wrote much of it. The official opening was at the Edinburgh Festival in 1975.

1981: Presented by Minotaurus at the People's Space directed by Dieter Reible, staged by Raimond Schoop, opening 21 December 1981 starring Marius Weyers (Dimetos), Trix Pienaar (Sophia), Mitzi Booysen (Lydia) and Blaise Koch (Danilo).

1982: A Market Theatre production of Dimetos directed by Dieter Reible opened 19 April 1982 Upstairs at the Market. (Same production?)

International productions

1976: Performed at the Nottingham Playhouse (opening on 29 April), then transferred to the Comedy Theatre, London. Produced by Oscar Lewenstein and Eddie Kulukindis, directed by Athol Fugard (assisted by Robert Barlow), it featured Paul Scofield (as Dimetos), Yvonne Bryceland (Sophia), Celia Quicke (Lydia) and Ben Kinsley (Danilo). Company and stage Manager Barbara Penney, assisted by Julie Rutherford and Sarah Cowling, design by Douglas Heap and lighting by Brian Thomas.

2002: Presented by the Berkshire Theater Festival at The Unicorn Theater, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, directed by Peter Wallace with Eric Hill , Tara Franklin , Anne O'Sullivan and Jeremy Davidson.

2009: Performed at the Donmar Warehouse, London, with Jonathan Pryce and Holliday Grainger in the lead.