The Bacchae

"The Bacchae" by Euripides

A co-production of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre and the State Theatre of Northern Greece
Concept and direction: Yavor Gardev

With special participation of The Tiger Lillies

After its world premiere in front of thousands of spectators at the Ancient Theatre in Epidaurus and a tour through the ancient stages of Greece and Cyprus, "The Bacchae" – the large-scale international production of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre and the State Theatre of Northern Greece – arrives in Bulgaria.

At the center of the tragedy is the return of Dionysus to his native Thebes – a city that refuses to acknowledge him as a god. The young ruler Pentheus forbids the new cult and decides to confront the unknown force that captivates the women of the city and leads them to the mountains. But the more persistently he tries to restore order, the deeper he falls into the trap set by Dionysus.

Under the direction of Yavor Gardev, one of Euripides' latest preserved tragedies transforms into a spectacular stage narrative about humanity's and the community's attempts to subdue what they do not understand and cannot control. The performance raises the question of what happens when a community declares the different a threat and believes it can expel everything it does not understand and cannot control.

The world-renowned British trio The Tiger Lillies performs live as modern rhapsodists and presents eleven original songs created by Martin Jacques specifically for the performance.

In the role of Dionysus is Leonid Yovchev, while Samuel Finzi embodies the prophet Tiresias. From the Bulgarian side, the actors from the troupe of the National Theatre Ivan Yurukov, Martin Dimitrov, Alexandra Svilenova, Kremena Slavcheva, Nadia Karanova, and Ivan Nikolov also participate.

The leading roles from the Greek side are performed by Alexandros Milonas as Cadmus, Loukia Michalopoulou as Agave, and Michail Tabakakis as Pentheus. The chorus of the Bacchae includes Alexandra Gaidatsi, Angeliki Kintoni, Danai Stamatopoulou, Eleni Timopoulou, Eftimia Daniilidou, Zoe Eftimiou, Kremena Slavcheva, Ksenia Gramatiku, Nadia Karanova, Nefeli Antiopoulou, and Polyxeni Spiroplou.

The performance was created as a co-production of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, the Athens-Epidaurus Festival, Vegas Cultural Co., and the State Theatre of Northern Greece, uniting artists from Bulgaria, Greece, and the United Kingdom.

"The Bacchae" is performed in English with Bulgarian and English subtitles.

Duration: 2 hours

September 30, 2026 – Ancient Theatre, Plovdiv
October 9, 2026 – Hall 1 of NDK, Sofia

Creative Team:

Translation from Ancient Greek to English: Robin Robertson
Translation from Ancient Greek to Bulgarian (subtitles): Dorotea Tabakova
Translation from Ancient Greek to Modern Greek (subtitles): Theodoros Stefanopoulos
Stage adaptation: Joanna Remediaki and Yavor Gardev
Music and lyrics of the rhapsodies: Martin Jacques (Copyright and publishing Misery Guts Music Ltd., 2026)
Scenography: Nikola Toromanov
Costume design: Maria Ilienia Duladiri
Choreography: Ursula Terzhan
Vocal arrangement of the choral parts: Kalin Nikolov
Lighting design: Stella Kaltsu
Dramaturgs: Joanna Remediaki and Pavlina Dublekova
English language speech coaches: Nathan Cooper and Mark Modzelewski
Makeup design: Olga Faleichuk
Hair design: Thomas Galazoulas
Director's consultant: Valery Robinson
Production manager and stage manager: Bogdan Dimitrov
Sound: Titos Kargiotakis, Orestis Pacinakidis

Cast and Performers

Rhapsody (The Tiger Lillies)
Messios – Martin Jacques
Ethereos – Adrian Stout
Kthonios – Budi Bootenop

Chorus of the Bacchae: Alexandra Gaidatsi, Alexandra Svilenova, Angeliki Kintoni, Danai Stamatopoulou, Eleni Timopoulou, Eftimia Daniilidou, Zoe Eftimiou, Kremena Slavcheva, Ksenia Gramatiku, Nadia Karanova, Nefeli Antiopoulou, Polyxeni Spiroplou Dionysus – Leonid Yovchev Cadmus – Alexandros Milonas Tiresias – Samuel Finzi
Agave – Loukia Michalopoulou
Pentheus – Michail Tabakakis
Messenger – Ivan Nikolov
First Herald – Ivan Yurukov
Second Herald – Martin Dimitrov

Photographers: Stefan Zdravenski, Petko Mavrodiev
Graphic design: Teodora Simova, Black Goats