AEF2023: The Trojan Women

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 The Trojan Women, Euripides’ tragedy set during the Trojan War, the victorious Greeks pillage Troy, causing the rage of Poseidon and Athena (an ally of the Athenians during the war), who set out to destroy the Greek army after the atrocities it performed against the defeated. A denunciation of the horrific cruelties of war, Euripides’ play brings forth the value of humanism during war time by highlighting the nobility of the defeated while condemning the winners' fleeting sense of power. Director Christos Sougaris, head of the artistic programming of the National Theatre of Northern Greece, offers a fresh perspective on the play at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. A must-see along with Voulgarakis’ take on Hecuba.