Eurydice is a play by French writer Jean Anouilh, written in 1941. The story is set in the 1930s, among a troupe of travelling performers. It combines skepticism about romance in general and the intensity of the relationship between Orpheus and Eurydice with an other-worldly mysticism. The result is a heavily ironic modern retelling of the classical Orpheus myth.
Eurydice is the daughter of the leading actress in a second-rate acting troupe. The troupe is waiting in a train station. Orphee is an accordionist at the station restaurant. Eurydice and Orphee meet and fall in love. Eurydice rejects the advances of a young man who is also a member of the troupe. The young man throws himself under a train. Eurydice leaves the actors and goes to live with Orphee. The couple is stalked by M. Henri, a sinister figure who may be an avenging fury. The manager of the acting troupe also hunts the couple down and reveals that Eurydice is his mistress and that she had also been sleeping with the young man who committed suicide. The couple quarrel but then reconcile.
Eurydice goes on a shopping trip and is run over by a bus. M. Henri is moved to compassion for Orphee and makes a bargain with death. Eurydice is brought back to life and M. Henri tells Orphee he must not look at Eurydice's face until dawn; if he does, she will die once more. Orphee, still angry from the discovery of Eurydice's previous love affairs, cannot resist looking her in the eye and berating her. She dies once more and compassionate M. Henri arranges for Orphee to be reunited with Eurydice in death.[1]
BBC THIRD PROGRAMME, 5/2/51. Cast included Paul Scofield, Esme Percy and Sebastian Cabot. Held at The British Library National Sound Archive,Find Format: T11629WR C1[2]