Bacchae by Euripides

International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama 2019

The internationally award-winning Izumi Ashizawa collaborates with Cypriot theatre company Belacqua Theatre and directs Euripides’ Bacchae, combining the techniques of Japanese Noh theatre and ancient Greek drama.

In Bacchae, Euripides recounts the advent of Dionysus to Thebes in order to impose his worship, the bacchanalian cult. King Pentheus refuses to accept it, and Dionysus gets his revenge. He infuses frenzy to the women of Thebes and Pentheus finds a horrid death by his own mother, Agave.

The intercultural production aims to create a new performance language, juxtaposing the worlds of East and West, Male and Female, Instinct and Reason, while presenting Dionysus as an “idea”, a concept rather than dialectic, provocative and elusive. Japanese-inspired acting techniques and aesthetics are utilised in an attempt to represent Dionysus and Bacchae, as the “Other”, through the collision of the native and the newcomer, the resident and the stranger.

▪ With English surtitles

Translation: Yorgos Chimonas

Direction/Movement direction: Izumi Ashizawa

Set/Costume design: Elena Katsouri, Thelma Cassoulidou

Original Music: Ermis Michael

Lighting design: Vasilis Petinaris

Trailer Creation: Sock Team

Production/Communication: Stephanie Polykarpou

Cast:

Pentheus: Giorgos Kyriakou

Chorus of Bacchae women/ Dionysus/ Cadmus/ Tiresias/ First Messenger/ Second Messenger/ Agave:

Nayia Anastasiadou, Νiki Dragoumi, Ioanna Kordatou, Themida Nikolaou, Loukia Pieridou, Maria Filippou

General Info:

Six productions of ancient Greek drama by distinguished theatre companies from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain participate at the twenty-third edition of the “International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama”, presenting performances at Ancient Odeon in Paphos, Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol and “Skali” Amphitheatre in Aglantzia, Nicosia.

▪ Performances start at 21:00

▪ Please arrive at the theatre before 20:40*

*Spectators attending performances at the Curium Ancient Theatre are advised to arrive at least 45 minutes before the performance.

►Tickets:

STEPHANIS stores in all cities

SOEASY Kiosks in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol

TIME OUT Kiosk in Paphos

In N Out Kiosk in Paralimni

Online: www.soldoutticketbox.com

►Ticket prices:

€12 regular

€6 reduced (Students, Senior Citizens, National Guard, Unemployed)

€45 Festival pass (per person for attending all six performances)

€10 group sales (over 10 persons per performance) at [email protected]

▪ Info: www.greekdramafest.com