“If evil is in this wind, let it blow over.”
The first part of this trilogy by the Greek tragedy poet Aeschylus focuses on the story of King Agamemnon and his wife Clytemnestra. The monarch decides to sacrifice their daughter Iphigenia in exchange for favourable winds to take his ships to Troy. After Agamemnon finally wins the Trojan War, he returns home, where a confrontation with Clytemnestra awaits him.
In the summer of 2022 in Greece, STAN presented this story in the open air in Elefsina (also known as Eleusis), the birthplace of Aeschylus. In 2024, they and Olympique Dramatique are adapting Klytaimnḗstra for theatres. In their show, three different versions of the famous Greek tragedy come together: Aeschylus’s original play in Greek, Ted Hughes’s masterly English translation, and Gustav Ernst’s raw interpretation, Bloedbad (Blood Bath), in Dutch. The juxtaposition of these three interpretations of this mythical story brings to the surface the unbridled craving for war and toxic lust for power within it, and we see the character of Agamemnon in a new light.
The cast consists of a group of Belgian and Greek actors and a Brazilian and Norwegian performer – a polyphonic ensemble, embodying different perspectives and revealing the dynamics between dancers and actors. A dissection of misogyny, 2500 years ago and today. Of the hunger for power and violence, of the apathy with which we submit to brutality. A questioning of contemporary identities and truths. With as guiding line: Where does intuition take over from reason?
In the summer of 2022 in Greece, STAN presented this story in the open air in Elefsina (also known as Eleusis), the birthplace of Aeschylus. In 2024, they and Olympique Dramatique are adapting Klytaimnḗstra for theatres. In their show, three different versions of the famous Greek tragedy come together: Aeschylus’s original play in Greek, Ted Hughes’s masterly English translation, and Gustav Ernst’s raw interpretation, Bloedbad (Blood Bath), in Dutch. The juxtaposition of these three interpretations of this mythical story brings to the surface the unbridled craving for war and toxic lust for power within it, and we see the character of Agamemnon in a new light.
The cast consists of a group of Belgian and Greek actors and a Brazilian and Norwegian performer – a polyphonic ensemble, embodying different perspectives and revealing the dynamics between dancers and actors. A dissection of misogyny, 2500 years ago and today. Of the hunger for power and violence, of the apathy with which we submit to brutality. A questioning of contemporary identities and truths. With as guiding line: Where does intuition take over from reason?
"De Keersmaeker shows that she has her own vision and style. She uses the entire theatre space, lavishly deploying incisive imagery, portraying the cerebral violence with poetic dance, Brutus and free jazz. Successfully making a Greek tragedy is hard, but this one sure has spunk.”
"Here, Klytaimnestra acquires a voice she never had before. Not simply one of hysterical fury (although that is still there), but also one of a self-aware powerful woman, impressively portrayed by Maria Skoula."
"This Klytaimnestra connects the Greek tragedies with contemporary developments in an amazingly self-evident manner. Without mentioning a specific situation, you recognize in Stijn Van Opstal’s Agamemnon all of the ‘Agamemnons’ today who seize upon some triviality or other – such as Helen’s capture – to secure their own importance in a horrific manner."
by and with
- Antonis Antonopoulos
- Adriana Bakker
- Synne Elve Enoksen
- Sara Haeck
- Eleni Moleski
- Maria Skoula
- Stijn Van Opstal
- Gustavo Gláuber
concept, direction
- Jolente De Keersmaeker
text
- Aischylos
- Ted Hughes
- Gustav Ernst
movement advice
- Youness Khoukhou
scenography, light
- Thomas Walgrave
costumes
- Rachid Laachir
production
- Toneelhuis
- Olympique Dramatique
- STAN
coproduction
- European Capital of Culture Elefsina 2023
with the support of
- de Tax Shelter van de Belgische federale overheid
- via Gallop Tax Shelter
