PLAY! Festival 2025

Originally associated with philosophers and aristocratic citizens of Athens, the symposium was, in essence, a drinking party and considered an important social institution in ancient Greece. It was a relaxed, convivial gathering of men sharing views and ideas on a range of topics, accompanied by wine, music, dancing, reciting of poetry and games. The symposium often took place in a purpose-built room called the andron which was usually large enough to accommodate several couches (klinai), on which those participating would recline. Vase paintings of symposia often show them enlivened by musicians and dancers, commonly depicting a musical instrument called the aulos - played by a man or woman. The aulos consisted of two pipes, one for each hand, sounded with double reeds (like the oboe) and was both one of the most important and controversial musical instruments in the Classical world.

The event itself

This event aims to re-imagine the ancient Greek symposium and the role of the aulos within it. Wine will be served and reconstructions of the aulos played, alongside dance, songs, spoken dialogues drawn from ancient Greek texts as well as the sort of games that were played at the symposium. The singers and dancers will be accompanied on the aulos and performers will feature leading international experts in the reconstruction of ancient Greek music, including Callum Armstrong, Stefan Hagel, Kamila Wyslucha, Olga Sutkowska and Stef Connor.

Organised by the departments of Music, Classics and Drama & Theatre at Royal Holloway, the event is sponsored by Humanities and Arts Research Institute (HARI), Music & Letters, and the Institute of Classical Studies.

Car parking

When you arrive for a College event at our Egham campus, please park in car parks 12 or 4.

Car park 12 can be accessed by turning right as you enter the main College gates and is located next to the tennis courts. If this car park is full, please drive further onto our campus to car park 4, which can be accessed by turning left at the mini-roundabout behind the Students’ Union. We would advise that you bring the College map to campus with you and give yourself plenty of time to park.

Blue Badge holders can find designated parking spaces in Car park 1W, as well as between Gardeners Lodge and the Williams Annexe. You can find these locations by looking at our campus map opposite. If you require any assistance on arrival, please contact our premises team in advance of your visit by emailing: premisesadmin@royalholloway.ac.uk and they will be happy to help.

Please note that we operate an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system on certain parts of our campus, however if you are here for an organised event, parking is unrestricted for event guests in car parks 12, 4 or 14 (or display your blue badge permit if parking in a disabled bay). If you have any questions about parking, please email: premisesadmin@royalholloway.ac.uk