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About Androcles and the Lion (Unabridged)

Androcles and the Lion By George Bernard Shaw Presented by The Online Stage George Bernard Shaw based his "religious pantomime" Androcles and the Lion on the ancient fable of the runaway slave who pulls a painful thorn from a lion's paw, thereby making a lifelong friend. Shaw explained that his play was in part a reaction to the huge success of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan : "I wrote Androcles to show what a play for children should be like." This tale of a puny Greek tailor triumphing over the Roman emperor is, as always with Shaw, a commentary on the politics of his time, with the emperor standing in for the British government and, indeed, all repressive regimes. Androcles and the Lion will delight audiences of all ages by alternating laughter with pathos, philosophy with fun, and satire with sincerity. Cast Narrator (G.B. Shaw) - Ben Stevens Androcles - Jeff Moon Megaera - Sara Morsey Centurion - Alan Weyman The Captain - Craig Franklin Lavinia - P.J. Morgan Lentullus - Steve Gough Metellus - Noel Badrian Spintho - Andrew Coleman Ferrovius - John Burlinson The Call Boy - Grace Keller-Scotch The Editor - Ron Altman The Menagerie Keeper - David Prickett Caesar/The Emperor - Peter Tucker Secutor - Denis Daly The Retiarius - Marty Krz

Audio edited by John Burlinson