The Beloved of Hathor - 125th Anniversary Performance at the Fitzrovia Chapel

Middle Pillar Theatre in association with Holythorn Press present The 125th Anniversary Performance of 'The Beloved of Hathor' at the Fitzrovia Chapel raising money for Breast Cancer Now.Join us for an evening of talks and an atmospheric candlelit performance of 'The Beloved of Hathor', the first of two Egyptian magic themed plays by Florence Farr & Olivia Shakespear. The Fitzrovia Chapel becomes the temple of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, and we are transported to an imagining of ancient Egypt full of enchantment and sacred music.Ranoutet, the temple's priestess works her magical arts to aid the goddess Hathor's beloved champion, Aahmes, as he readies his warriors to fight the invaders. A young sorceress, Nouferou, is set upon claiming Aahmes for herself, attempting to thwart his devotion to spiritual love over the physical. As a battle rages outside the temple, within its sacred walls a battle is fought for Aahmes' eternal soul.Originally performed in November 1901, 'The Beloved of Hathor' was described by Irish poet William Butler Yeats as a 'fragment of a ritual - the ritual of a beautiful forgotten worship'. The performance was also the debut of the unique stringed folk instrument called 'the Psaltery' designed by Arnold Dolmetsch for Florence Farr. The Psaltery was at the centre of the bardic revival led by Florence Farr and W. B. Yeats at the beginning of the 20th-Century, hoping to restore the lost art of chanting poetry to music. A replica of the instrument has been created, making its first public appearance in London in over 100 years.Introductions given by Caroline Wise, Isabel Rolfe, and Sally North, followed by a 45 minute performance of the play.Raising money for Breast Cancer Now, funding cutting-edge research and supporting the lives of those with breast cancer, your ticket includes refreshments, exciting introductory talks and an atmospheric performance of the play itself.Event Start: 7pm
Event End: 10pmFollow us on instagram:
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