SCENA MUNDI

We stage plays, mainly from the classical European repertoire.

We work in spaces which are inspiring and take theatre back into the public arena.

We train actors and equip them with the knowledge to approach, understand and perform classical texts.

Scena Mundi was founded in 2013 by Anglo-French director Cecilia Dorland.

It is an ensemble theatre company specialising in the production of classical plays.

By classical, we mean plays which are not necessarily “ancient” or even “period”, but which have achieved the status of works of art thanks to their literary, aesthetic, and thematic qualities. Their classical value comes from the scope of their text and message. From Greek and Elizabethan tragedy to contemporary work, the plays we stage have a stature which makes them essential and relevant to all times.

The company’s first production was John Lyly's Love's Metamorphosis at the Pentameters Theatre in Hampstead, followed by T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral at The Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great in West Smithfield, London, in May 2014. We were subsequently offered a residency at Great St.Bart's, where we staged Everyman in November 2014 and a repertory season, “Sad Stories of the Death ofKings: Richard II & Edward II” in spring/summer 2015. Having received much critical acclaim, Scena Mundi were invited to bring the season to the Isle of Wight, in August 2015, to headline the Ventnor Exchange Festival. By then, the company had become a versatile and faithful rep company of actors. We were invited to the Jack Studio Theatre to stage Ben Jonson's comedy Volpone, or The Fox, in the autumn of 2015. The production received outstanding reviews across the board. We moved to the French Protestant Church, Soho Square, in the heart of London's West End for a dark, shimmering Twelfth Night which was again well reviewed. In May 2017, Cecilia Dorland was nominated for a Best Director Offie award for her staging of Webster’s The Duchess ofMalfi, set in the sober and impressive setting of St Giles in the Fields in the West End.

In November 2019, a new phase started for Scena Mundi as we staged a revival of Murder in the Cathedral in Southwark Cathedral, London, Oxford and Guildford Cathedral. Led by well-known classical actor Jasper Britton and seen by thousands of spectators, this was our largest scale production to date. It was highly praised in the national press. In 2022, Sorbonne Université in Paris invited Scena Mundi to revive their production of Richard II. It was played on two nights in the Totem theatre in the French capital

  • “SCENA MUNDI’S COMPANY OF ACTORS ARE EXQUISITE”

    The Theatre Tourist

  • “[A] powerful experience… [The] chorus of women … give this excellent production its heart... The women wheel both vocally and physically to keep the performance fluid and intense... Eliot’s verse [is made] elegant and understandable”

    The Church Times

  • “An excellent production…The whole experience was a delight: the church is exquisite, and the performances were a joy.”

    the Financial Times

  • “[An] eye-catching performance... the dynamic is just right”

    Everything Theatre

  • “A theatre visit like no other...it was a remarkable use of a church. The whole cast were fantastic.”

    London Theatre 1

  • “Scena Mundi are without doubt an asset to British theatre."

    Frantastic View

  • "This is traditional Shakespeare exactly as it should be done, with no gimmicks or distractions, just sincerity and grace... Cecilia Dorland’s production is quite exquisite”

    The Theatre Tourist

  • “Even the Globe, which I love, pales into insignificance in the face of this magnificent example of a 12th Century religious building... Director Cecilia Dorland uses the space perfectly”

    London Theatre 1

  • “Magnificent, awe-inspiring surroundings compliment a fine cast.”

    Everything Theatre

  • “A steadfastly historical production... which champions the poetry at the piece’s heart”

    The Stage

  • “Thought-provoking theatre, radiating energy and style”

    Mind the blog

  • “A lively, inventive and delightful piece of theatre”

    the theatre tourist

  • “The stellar line up… will have you laughing throughout”

    Everything Theatre

  • “Fringe Theatre at its best”

    broadway world

  • “The cast sparkled”

    everything theatre

  • “Completely astounding classical theatre”

    the theatre tourist

  • “A strong cast…under the sure directorial hand of Cecilia Dorland”

    sardines magazine

  • “A delight for the eyes and ears”

    Carn's Theatre Passion