Aeschylus' remarkable trilogy, The Oresteia, in the first collaboration between the internationally acclaimed Greek director and teacher Theodoros Terzopoulos and the National Theatre of Greece, continues its triumphant run by opening the 77th Classical Shows Season (Ciclo di Spettacoli Classici) at the historic Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

Following two more appearances on 4 & 5 September at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, where 8,700 spectators gave Terzopoulos, the company and the creatives a standing ovation, and its sold-out tour of Greece and Cyprus, The Oresteia travels on 20 and 21 September to Vicenza, in Italy, for the 77th Ciclo di Spettacoli Classici. One of the leading and longest-running theatre festivals in the world, it is under the artistic direction of Ermanna Montanari and Marco Martinelli, and runs from 20 September to 20 October.

Based in the Teatro Olimpico, the masterpiece built by the influential Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, the Ciclo di Spettacoli Classici has hosted some of the biggest names in international theatre. Aiming to highlight the role and importance of the Classics in the modern era and consistently proposing new approaches to interpretation and performance, this year’s festival makes the Chorus its main focus, both as a political and a poetic concept. 

The NTG is participating for the second time at Vicenza, having previously presented Euripides’ Orestes at the Teatro Olimpico in September 2010 in a production directed by Yannis Houvardas. The Oresteia also marks a return to this iconic space for Theodoros Terzopoulos. In 1994, he directed Sophocles' Antigone here in a bilingual production with sets by the unforgettable Giorgos Patsas, bringing together major Italian actors and actors from the Attis group.

A few words about the Teatro Olimpico
The Teatro Olimpico, Palladio's last and greatest work and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the world’s oldest surviving indoor theatre.  It was commissioned from the Italian architect by the Accademia Olimpica in February 1580, although it was not until five years after his death that it was completed, by Vincenzo Scamozzi. In the Teatro Olimpico, Palladio attempted to combine his knowledge of classical architecture with contemporary art and to make manifest the idea of ​​a continuity between ancient and Renaissance classicism.  The theatre was inaugurated on 3 March 1585 with a performance of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. 

 

For information about the production and the detailed tour schedule, click here.

 

Latest updated: 10/09/2024