A theatrical piece examining classical antiquity and its contemporary relevance will premiere next month.

The production, titled History Has No Safe Word, comes from Brighton-based Something Underground Theatre Company and will be staged at St Mary’s Church in Kemptown from May 1 through 16 during the Brighton Fringe festival.

The performance focuses on the eruption of Pompeii in AD79 and employs ancient wall inscriptions as a means to reconstruct daily existence in the Roman city.

Jonathan Brown, who established Something Underground, authored and stars in the production. He stated: “The narrative centers on Professor Nathan Zangari.

Once crowned the most appealing instructor on BBC2’s Open University, his highly acclaimed archaeo-linguistics research paper titled ‘Graffiti, Women and the Walls of Pompeii’ now exists only as a past achievement.

At the sleep-research facility where he resides, staff monitor him speaking during slumber, appearing to serve as a conduit for a Pompeian girl lost to history.

When an ambitious student named Callie volunteers to record his nighttime utterances, both become immersed in the very real circumstances of individuals facing catastrophe approximately two millennia in the past.”

Brown has made multiple trips to Pompeii and collaborated with Latin language specialist Ilse Morehouse to craft a narrative anchored in the concluding days of the city.