(Hannah Ellis-Petersen’s article appeared in the Guardian, 6/8.)
A festival of music, poetry and discussion is to be held at the Almeida theatre, north London, inspired by the hedonistic ancient Greek festivals of Dionysus that gave birth to Athenian drama more than 2,000 years ago.
The festival will frame a new season of Greek tragedies at the theatre, which will feature Ben Whishaw starring in an adaptation of The Bacchae, as well as new versions of Oresteia and Medea.
The event, which will run from July to October, will see figures such as Olivier award-winning director Ivo van Hove and author AC Grayling discussing the contemporary impact of the Greeks, a reworking of Lysistrata by an all-female ensemble and a performance by drag artist Dickie Beau inspired by the Greek canon.