The Bacchae – The Studio
The latest touring production of The Bacchae by Euripides, presented by Company of Wolves at The Studio at Festival Theatre in Edinburgh under the umbrella of Capital Theatres, is a bold and strikingly modern interpretation of a play that is already more than 2,400 years old. Written and performed by Ewan Downie and originally directed by the late Ian Spink, this stripped back solo performance attempts something rather daring, to compress one of Greek tragedy’s most disturbing and philosophically rich stories into a highly physical, ritualistic piece of theatre.
At its best, the production is undeniably compelling. Downie’s performance is intense and committed, shifting rapidly between narration, character and movement in a way that suggests an actor channelling a whole chorus...