Elli Papakonstantinou makes the myth of Dionysos her own, giving us a queer version of the play where the question of gender is synonymous with freedom. Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae is more relevant than ever in this hybrid piece combining theatre, dance, new media, original music and live visual effects. An exciting new immersive experience by one of the leading artists on the international scene.
The Greek artist and director’s creations explore the subject of gender in all its complexity. Euripides’ text, written when he was in exile in northern Greece, is fertile ground for stepping beyond the surface of things, digging deeper, removing the boundaries between humans and gods, animal, vegetable and mineral, female and male and using images to explore and reveal what lies beyond the words we speak. The Bacchae invents a society that has dealt with the issue of gender. Everything starts in an atmosphere suggesting that an old regime is coming to an end and the show, with its pop/opera soundtrack and dancers of many nationalities, then builds towards a feeling of liberating ecstasy. Whereas Euripides shows human weakness in the face of the madness of Dionysos, Elli Papakonstantinou’s show reveals the power of collective action.