Why does Oresteia continue to hold such tremendous attraction? Perhaps this is because there seems to be an intrinsic need within the human being for a profound relationship with Myth.

Oresteia’s myth is dangerous; it belongs to the world of the uncanny and the strange; it brings terror because it reveals the unbowed, violent, and the untamable deepest laws. Clytemnestra invites us to break the mirror together, so that from its fragments a new nightmarish image may be born, but one that nevertheless retains the dark roots of the myth.

Our intention is to study the depth of the myth of Oresteia and to search for the unexpected, the unusual, the paradoxical. The characters offer their bodies on the altar of the unbecoming, posing relentless questions and dilemmas.

The aesthetics of the performance derive from the dynamic relationship of the Body with Myth, Time, and Memory. We raise again the fundamental ontological question “what is it all about?”, a question that does not accept definitive answers, but constantly mobilises us towards an ever-deeper investigation of the root of sound, of the word, of the multiple aspects of the human enigma and the reconstruction of a new Myth.

– Theodoros Terzopoulos

Greece’s first state theatre company was the Royal Theatre, which was founded in 1901 and operated until 1908. It was re-established under the name “National Theatre” in 1930 and opened for the public in March 1932. The National Theatre of Greece (NTG), during its 90 years of existence, has succeeded in creating a powerful theatrical tradition. The NTG Drama School was founded in 1930 and has since operated in tandem with the NTG.

The repertoire of the National Theatre aims at polyphony, promoting a dialogue between tradition, present and future. The revival of Ancient Greek Drama remains a key area of interest for the National Theatre in an effort to combine respect for tradition with new trends. In 1938 the National Theatre of Greece performed its first open-air production of ancient drama, Sophocles’ Electra; the first performance after centuries at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. In 1955 the NTG established the Festival of Epidaurus.

Today, there are six venues in the National Theatre in Ziller Building (2), in Rex Theatre (3) and the School of Athens – Irene Papas (open-air venue). The National Theatre is always open to collaborations with theatres and artists – tours, joint productions with major theatres abroad, participation in international festivals, educational programs, and invitations to important contemporary artists; these are all part of the effort to broaden an already established network. The NTG was a member of the European Theatre’s Union (2009-2020). Since 2022, the NTG is a member of the European Theatre Convention.

The Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Greece is the director Yannis Moschos.

n–t.gr