Rare performance for Elizabethan play by University of Kent students

University of Kent students will give a rare performance of an Elizabethan play from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 March at 7.30pm.

Endymion is a comedy by John Lyly, the best-selling playwright of Shakespeare’s time and one of England’s first novelists. The play will be performed by Kent students in the Missing Link Building on the Canterbury campus. Audiences will see an innovative production where a boy falls in love with the moon, whilst the terrible witch Dipsas and the dodgy soldier Sir Tophas cause havoc in the background.

Dr Andy Kesson, Lecturer in Early Modern Studies at the University, commented: ‘Born in Canterbury, Lyly’s writing helped to define the English novel and play but, since then, he has been almost totally forgotten. In the School of English, we are trying to promote his extraordinary writing and have introduced two of his plays to our students’ modules this year.

‘As a result of their reading of the play, our students have been inspired to stage Endymion, one of the first performances of the play since 1588 which is bound to have a special kind of impact.’

Directed by Frederic Waller, Endymion is rated 16+ as it contains some adult material. Tickets are available, priced £5 or £4 for T24:Drama Society members, on the door at the Missing Link.