Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 1-4

A Comical Guide to Ancient Greece and Rome

By: Natalie Haynes

Narrated by: Natalie Haynes

All four series of Natalie Haynes’ BBC Radio 4 show combining comedy with classicism

Writer, broadcaster and recovering comedian Natalie Haynes mixes comedy and conversation to bring the ancient world entertainingly up to date in these four radio series. Each episode sees her profiling a key figure from ancient Greece and Rome, and, aided by her special guests, creating a stand-up show around them.

Series 1 investigates Petronius and the worst dinner party in history; asks whether Sophocles invented the TV detective with Oedipus; explains how Virgil was responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and introduces us to the notorious Aspasia.

In Series 2, Natalie stands up for Aristophanes (expect a chorus of frogs and a sex strike); Ovid (featuring frottage at the races); Plato (a bit chunky, but a good wrestler) and Agrippina (pretty well connected and handy with the purse strings).

Series 3 discusses Sappho, whose scorching poetry is now mainly lost; brings us some thousand-year-old gossip about Cicero; gives us the lowdown on Lucian, the forgotten inventor of science fiction; and tells the story of Juvenal, history’s first great stand-up comedian.

Finally, Series 4 explores Phryne, the Greek courtesan famed for her wit and beauty; Horace, the Roman poet who made friends of enemies through his writing; Euripides, whose Medea still shocks us today; and Livy, who gave us Hannibal crossing the Alps and the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.

Guests include Martin Rowson, Richard Dyer, Victoria Rimell, Professor Edith Hall, Frank McGuinness, Andrew Collins, Pamela Helen Stephen, Gordon Cutting, Dr Llewelyn Morgan, Sarah B. Pomeroy, Dr Ian Jenkins, Cate Haste, Rosie Wyles, Fiona Laird, Michael Squire, Philippa Perry, Stella Duffy, LiTTLe MACHiNe, Mark Stephens, Matthew Sweet, Armando Iannucci, Katy Brand, Ben Okri, Mark Ravenhill and Al Murray.

Produced by Christine Hall and Mary Ward Lowery

A BBC Studios production

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Overall worth repeated listening

Love the subjects picked and the balanced view of the ‘tricky’ ones (Juvenal, Ovid).

For future performances, it would be nice if the author / performer slowed down just a little in delivery. Also, she has an ‘uplift’ vocal pattern that starts to grate a bit in some episodes.

Overall, the episodes didn’t just entertain and educate me - they also motivated me to delve further into Greek drama. Oh! And it was stonkingly lovely to hear someone who started studying Latin with the same program that I did.

Delightful from beginning to end

I intended to read this in small sessions because it was easily divided up, but I listened to it straight through. It was delightful, funny, entertaining, and very informative.

Delightful

This was such a great and fun way to engage with the classical world. I could’ve listened for hours more. I’m looking forward to future seasons.

Funny and educational

Natalie Haynes is a rare combination of extremely smart and knowledgeable and really funny with great comedic timing.

Insightful and educative laughter

Delightful, educative, insightful makes you wanna read all those classics at least once! And overall very funny.