“People will look back on us and maybe they’ll be appalled by what we said and did
– or maybe they’ll laugh or maybe they’ll just wonder at the complexity of human relationships.”

A modern take on an ancient classic
Encolpius, Ascyltos and Giton are three young men footloose in the Roman Empire. With long-dead Petronius commenting on their story and a cantankerous group of twenty-first century Actors bringing to life everyone they meet, the trio find themselves at the heart of adventures of seduction, deception, love, thievery, violence and more.
Step back into the past while keeping one foot in the present as you enter this picaresque tale. View sexual relations from the Roman perspective – and view the Roman perspective from today. Remind yourself that actors have a life beyond the stage – and that some lives never end. All this and more in the fast and funny, filthy and philosophical play that is The Satyricon.
Martin Foreman’s adaptation of Petronius’ first-century satire premiered in Edinburgh in October 2022, with Joseph Cathal (Encolpius: right in pic above), Ben Blow (Ascyltos: above left) and Scott Adair as the trio, and Stephen Corrall as Petronius (right). (also pictured above, Rhona O’Donnell as one of the Actors).
“hugely effective and at times very funny indeed”
All Edinburgh Review
