Indhu Rubasingham (The Father and the Assassin) directs Nima Taleghani’s adaptation of Euripides’s great Greek tragedy, The Bacchae – bringing a bold, modern, and musical twist to the story, celebrating the god of wine and his hedonistic, unrestrained followers. Full of mischief and mayhem, this gleeful retelling will keep you on your toes throughout the show.

Why should you see Bacchae?
The play is performed in a unique style, through a mix of spoken word and rhyme, and infused with music and movement.
It’s a modern twist on an Ancient Greek classic, which promises to push the women to the forefront.
This will be Indhu Rubasingham’s inaugural season as National Theatre Director, and Bacchae will be the first of many bold, genre-defying takes on old classics.

What is Bacchae about?
Written by Athenian playwright Euripides, The Bacchae is an ancient Greek tragedy which recounts the myth of Dionysus, god of wine, theatre, and ecstasy, and his revenge plot against his cousin, King Pentheus. Full of wrathful gods, divine cults, and women driven into maddened violence, this classic is ripe for a modern retelling.

Indhu Rubasingham begins her tenure as National Theatre Director by bringing to life Nima Taleghani’s thrilling, subversive new adaptation of Euripides’s unforgettable tragedy. In this revival, the women take centre-stage: the Bacchae, Dionysus’s wild, frenzied female followers, have been the subject of art, music, and literature for their depiction of feminine rage. Now they get their time to shine, marauding through Thebes in a gleeful frenzy of sex and violence, while the eternal party god Dionysus schemes.

The revival stars James McArdle (Mare of Easttown), Clare Perkins (EastEnders) and Ukweli Roach (Blindspot). Told through rhythm, movement, and music – a mix of spoken word and rhyme – Bacchae is an electric, energetic, and anarchic celebration of the god of theatre, while remaining true to Euripides’s exploration of the nature of human existence. Whether you’re familiar with the source work or not, be prepared to marvel at this stylish new retelling.