A play in five acts by Gabriele d'Annunzio
Translation by Arthur Symons
Adapted for broadcasting by Helena Wood
Production by Raymond Raikes
Frederick Allen introduces each act
Scene: In ' thirsty' Argos, near the ruins of Mycenae, ' rich in gold.'
This play is something more than a period-piece. D'Annunzio, that coudoltiere born some centuries too late for the Renaissance, has crammed his story with gold and blood (both words recur constantly throughout the play); birds die symbolically-though they are larks and falcons, not wild ducks; and the great evocative names of Mycenae, Agamemnon, and Cassandra are woven into a tapestry of thirst and dust and brooding heat, with a pulsating vigour that should be refreshing in these utility days. P.W.