AEF2023: The Bacchae after Euripides

It’s that time of the year again, when Athenians start planning their summer holidays around the programme of the Athens Epidaurus Festival. The leading performing arts festival in Greece, and one of the oldest in Europe, returns between June 1st and August 26th for its 68th edition with a rich programme of events. As always, the main venues are the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the industrial complex of Pireos 260 and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. Click here for our festival picks or head over to the official website for the full programme.

In Euripides’ tragedy Bacchae god Dionysus returns to his hometown, Thebes, to punish his mortal family who renounce his divinity and prevent the citizens from worshipping him.

In Elli Papakonstantinou’s Bacchae, a queer musical version of the tragedy emerges. A meteor called Dionysus is expected to destroy the planet, but when Dionysus himself arrives, he instead calls for the fulfilment of everyone’s innermost desires. People must overcome guilt and fear if they want to gain access to the Room of Desire. English, French, Spanish, and Greek are all heard on stage throughout this pop performance that is sprinkled with operatic outbursts, new media applications and post-apocalyptic vibes.