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Professor Oliver Taplin was a fellow and tutor of Classics (Literae Humaniores) at Magdalen College, Oxford.
Professor Taplin is author of several books, including 'Greek Fire', a celebration of the capacity of Ancient Greek culture to stand the test of time and influence modern art, thought and society. The book accompanied a Channel 4 documentary series of the same name. This book has been translated into five languages. His first book was "The Stagecraft of Aeschylus" examining the entrances and exits of characters in Aeschylus's plays.
He set up the APGRD (Archive of Performances of Greek and Roman Drama) in 1996 with Edith Hall. It is devoted to the international production and reception of ancient plays since the Renaissance. He has also worked with productions in the theatre, including The Oresteia at the National Theatre (1980–81), The Thebans at the RSC (1991–92), and The Oresteia at the National Theatre (1999–2000).
Apart from Greek drama, his chief area of interest was in Homer.
He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1995. Since turning 65 in August 2008, Professor Taplin has retired as Tutor in Classics at Magdalen College, Oxford. The same year, Oxford University Press published 'Performance, Iconography, Reception: Studies in Honour of Oliver Taplin' edited by Martin Revermann and Peter Wilson.
| # | Episode Title | Description | People | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Book at Lunchtime: Sophocles – Antigone and other tragedies | TORCH Book at Lunchtime event on Sophocles: Antigone and other tragedies by Professor Oliver Taplin. With panellists Professor Karen Leeder and Dr Lucy Jackson. | Oliver Taplin, Karen Leeder, Lucy Jackson, Wes Williams | 01 Mar 2021 | |
| 14 | Sicily and Ancient Greek Theatre | A podcast episode with Oliver Taplin and Giovanna Di Martino | Oliver Taplin, Giovanna Di Martino | 09 Dec 2020 | |
| 13 | Live Event: Tragedy and Plague - In Conversation with Professor Oliver Taplin and Fiona Shaw CBE | TORCH Goes Digital! presents a series of weekly live events Big Tent - Live Events! Part of the Humanities Cultural Programme, one of the founding stones for the future Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Drama Week | Oliver Taplin, Fiona Shaw | 04 Nov 2020 | |
| 12 | Epic Performances from the Middle Ages into the Twenty-First Century | A discussion about the book Epic Performances from the Middle Ages into the Twenty-First Century. Part of 'A Book at Lunchtime' series | Oliver Taplin, Wes Williams, Olga Taxidou, Sarah Whatley | 06 Mar 2019 | |
| 11 | Ted Hughes: The Unauthorised Life | Jonathan Bate, Anne Farrar Donovan, Seamus Perry and Oliver Taplin discuss life-writing, poetry and the poet | Jonathan Bate, Seamus Perry, Oliver Taplin, Anne Farrar Donovan | 20 Oct 2015 | |
| 10 | Creative Commons | Who Translates and for Whom? | Fourth part of the What is Translation Podcast series. In this part, the question of who is best placed to translate classic texts; academics, poets, dramatists and who is best placed to receive the translation, students, scholars or the general public. | Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick | 27 Jul 2010 |
| 9 | Creative Commons | Can Poetry be Translated? | Third part of the What is Translation podcast series. In this part, the question of whether poetry be translated. Is there something within the original that is lost in the translation? | Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick | 27 Jul 2010 |
| 8 | Creative Commons | Is there ever a Faithful Translation? | Second part of the What is Translation podcast series. In this part, the question of whether there can be a faithful translation; does the act of translating a text change the meaning of the original is discussed. | Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick | 27 Jul 2010 |
| 7 | Creative Commons | Is there a Core to Translation? | First part of the What is Translation podcast series looking at translation of classical texts. In this part, the question of whether there is a core to translation; is there a central guiding idea to translation is discussed. | Oliver Taplin, Lorna Hardwick | 27 Jul 2010 |
| 6 | Creative Commons | Is Tragedy still Alive? | Discussion on whether tragedy still exists in modern culture, whether in films, modern theatre or and other creative arts. | Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings | 01 Mar 2010 |
| 5 | Creative Commons | Does Tragedy Teach? | Third dialogue on the nature of tragedy where they talk about whether tragic theatre teaches people, and if it does, how and what does it teach? | Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings | 01 Mar 2010 |
| 4 | Creative Commons | What does Tragedy do for People? | A discussion of what the use of tragedy is, and whether the emotional experience of tragic theatre is simply a passing thrill or a vital part of life. | Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings | 01 Mar 2010 |
| 3 | Creative Commons | Defining Tragedy | First dialogue between Oliver Taplin and Joshua Billings on tragedy: they discuss what 'tragedy' means, from its origins in Greek culture to philosophical notions of what tragedy and tragic drama are. | Oliver Taplin, Joshua Billings | 01 Mar 2010 |
| 2 | Oliver Taplin on Classics | Professor Oliver Taplin, an authority on classics and the performance of ancient drama, talks about the subject and his research. | Oliver Taplin, Oliver Lewis | 22 Apr 2009 | |
| 1 | Creative Commons | Oliver Taplin on Classics | Professor Oliver Taplin, an authority on classics and the performance of ancient drama, talks about the subject and his research. | Oliver Taplin, Oliver Lewis | 12 Sep 2008 |