The play centers on Lysistrata, a Greek woman who sick by the absence of her husband and the loss of life of other husbands and sons in the wars, initiated a sex strike - women withholding their bodies until the men decided to abandon the slaughter of war.

In Parliament Square around 200 actors and supporters gathered in Parliament Square. They wore white gags over their mouths with their names written on them, illustrating how government and blair are not listening to the people of the country over plans to declare war against iraq.

After 3 minutes of silence, they turned to face parliament and removed their gags, reciting a powerful extract from the play (see below). After the reading the gags were tied onto a line suspended above the other anti-war placcards that make up the site of the permanent peace vigil opposite parliament.

Richard Wilson, Joseph Fiennes and Lindsay Duncan were amoung the more well known participants. Organisers described the global performance of Lysistrata as the biggest act of dissent ever made in the theatre world. Also present were a samba band and women from the GMB recognised Sex Workers Union who carried their 'Sex Strike' banner to the protest to show their solidarity. A regular weekly actors peace vigil was also announced for outside parliament as well - starting late each week after theatre performances have finished.

Aside from the hundreds of readings around the world, there were events in:

Cardiff, South Wales
Durham
Hertfordshire
Hull
Leicester
Lincoln
Liverpool
London-Parliament Square
London-Online cyber-reading
London-Kennington Park
London-Brixton
London-Stoke Newington
London-Clapham
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
North Yorkshire
Northamptonshire
Nottingham
Oxford
Sheffield
Walton on Thames
Warwickshire
Winchester


Links:

Lysistrata Project:
 http://www.lysistrataproject.org

Lysistrata London:
 http://www.lysistratalondon.co.uk

Global corporate media coverage:
 http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&scoring=d&q=lysistrata+&btnG=Search+News

BBC covered it too:
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/2814295.stm


-------------------------------------

Extract from Tony Harrison’s
The Common Chorus Part 1 (Lysistrata)

There’s no confusion. My mind’s clear
and there’s no difference between there and here.
Since Hiroshima what we’ve done
paradoxically ‘s to make the whole Earth one.
One target, in one united fate
nuked together in some hyperstate.
Not just all places, all human ages too
are dependent on the likes of us and you.
In the Third World War we’ll destroy
not only modern cities but the memory of Troy,
stories that shaped the spirit of our race
are held in the balance by you in this place.
Remember, if you can, that with man goes the mind
that might have made sense of the hist’ry of mankind.
It’s a simple thing to grasp: when we’re all dead
there’ll be no further pages to be read.
The world till now up to the last minute
and every creature who was ever in it
go when we go, every little thing or thought
never to be remembered, absolutely nought.
No war memorials with names of dead on
because memory won’t survive your Armageddon.
So Lysistrata! ( * ) – it’s one name. * say your name
Since 1945 the past and present are the same.
And it doesn’t matter if it is ‘real’ or a play –
imagination and reality go the same way.
So don’t say it’s just a bunch of ancient Greeks.
It’s their tears that will be flowing down your cheeks.
So where we are, London, ancient Greece,
Doesn’t matter. Our fates depend on peace.