The Bacchae of Euripides
Title
The Bacchae of Euripides
Description
The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite is an adaptation by Wole Soyinka of The Bacchae.
Soyinka wrote the play during his exile in Britain. It was first performed on August 2nd 1973 by the National Theatre company at the Old Vic in London. Then performed at Ohio State University, USA (1988), with "…subsequent productions in new York and Jamaica but never in Nigeria itself" (Wetmore, 2002: 96 citing James Gibbs, 1982:57)"
Soyinka’s production note called for "as [racially] mixed a cast as is possible" for the Slaves and the Bacchantes, and a "fully negroid" actor for the Slave Leader, but in the National Theatre’s production all the other named characters were played by white actors. Martin Shaw, as Dionysus, was not an androgynous figure. Bare-chested and in a small loincloth, with only slightly longer hair than one might then have expected from one’s bank manager, he was a clearly male leader of rebellion; the chorus of maenads became a predominantly male chorus of slaves, only some of whom were female. Whereas in Euripides’ play Pentheus is a young man (cousin, and potential mirror image of Dionysus), in this production John Shrapnel seemed old enough to be a father figure, and thereby a generational difference was introduced
Soyinka wrote the play during his exile in Britain. It was first performed on August 2nd 1973 by the National Theatre company at the Old Vic in London. Then performed at Ohio State University, USA (1988), with "…subsequent productions in new York and Jamaica but never in Nigeria itself" (Wetmore, 2002: 96 citing James Gibbs, 1982:57)"
Soyinka’s production note called for "as [racially] mixed a cast as is possible" for the Slaves and the Bacchantes, and a "fully negroid" actor for the Slave Leader, but in the National Theatre’s production all the other named characters were played by white actors. Martin Shaw, as Dionysus, was not an androgynous figure. Bare-chested and in a small loincloth, with only slightly longer hair than one might then have expected from one’s bank manager, he was a clearly male leader of rebellion; the chorus of maenads became a predominantly male chorus of slaves, only some of whom were female. Whereas in Euripides’ play Pentheus is a young man (cousin, and potential mirror image of Dionysus), in this production John Shrapnel seemed old enough to be a father figure, and thereby a generational difference was introduced
Language
English
Proficiency Level
english
Proficiency-Level: Professional
Year Created
1973
Opening Date
1973-08-01
Performance Venue
The Old Vic
Geographic Location of Performance
Producer
Roland Joffé
The Royal National Theatre (RNT)
Text By
Performers
David Bradley
Constance Cummings
Paul Curran
Julian Curry
Gawn Grainger
Harry Lomax
Isabelle Lucas
Desmond McNamara
Martin Shaw
John Shrapnel
Musical Composer
Marc Wilkinson
Choreographer
Malcolm Goddard
Stage Designer
Jocelyn Herbert
Nadine Baylis
Lighting Designer
Leonard Tucker
