Before they could begin advertising and recruiting, they needed a name. Richard and Nabil agreed that the name should reference disability and come from the classics. As Nabil has stated, “the idea of using something from something from mythology to dispel and shatter the misconceptions and myths about disability, was very important and we wanted to contain that notion within the name of this embryonic theatre company. We were in the business of myth breaking.”  

Naming Graeae: 

The Myth: According to Greek legend, the three Graeae sisters shared an eye and a single tooth. When Perseus stole them, the sisters revealed how to kill the Medusa, but he broke his oath and threw away their life source. The Graeae ethos is grounded in working together and sharing resources. 

We are often asked how Graeae is pronounced so we wanted to share the correct pronunciation: “grey-eye”. 

The below animation, with illustration by Graeae patron Sir Peter Blake, narration by Graeae co-founder Nabil Shaban, words by Write to Play writer Sean Burn and animation by Dog & Rabbit, was originally created for the Graeae and Central Illustration Agency exhibition Reframing the Myth exhibition in February 2016.

Original artwork by patron Sir Peter Blake.