Beowulf

As the Vikings revel in the mead hall, the monster Grendel enters and slays several warriors. Beowulf arrives, fights Grendel single-handedly, tears off the monster's arm (really!—right there on stage!), and sends him home to die. Beowulf is hailed as a hero and marries Princess Hygd, and the revels begin again until Grendel's mother, even more ferocious, comes for revenge. As a contrast to the ancient Viking story, Grendel is depicted as a punk rocker; his mother is "Big Mummy." The play's themes—the struggle against violence, vandalism and darkness, and the stupidity in assuming that affluence brings real security or satisfaction—are as relevant today as ever. The Viking blend of sheer energy and raw humor, hero worship and action are as familiar to the theatre, the football field, or the rock concert as they were to King Hrothgar in his great drinking hall of Heorot—why not join him there?