Bacchae
18 September 2025
National Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Bacchae, currently on at the National Theatre until the 1st November, is a new play by Nima Taleghani, based on the ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides. The play hurls the tragedy into modern times without changing its core. With a vibrant group of Bacchae, women followers of the god Dionysus, introduce the setting and address the audience, following the play as the Greek chorus throughout. They are a diverse group who are introduced by name and dominate the narrative with strong commentary, contemporary rap, and spoken word poetry, lounging in the background while scenes unfold just to spring forward and review or foreshadow for the audience. A brilliantly modern and appealing version of the Greek chorus that utilises humour and modern language to bring the audience into the world of King Pentheus of Thebes, his mother Agave, and the free women of the Bacchae who seek to free the women of Thebes.
This fast paced production is a darkly playful version of the story that really leans into the sexual freedom and feminism of the Bacchae, while revelling in the violence and madness of the narrative. The stunningly creative decisions made to drag this play into modernity have created an intensely modern and easy to follow story that really looks after its audience, no matter their level of familiarity with the subject matter. From starkly contrasting costuming to clarify characters’ statuses to the sensational lighting design that dynamically aids the stage design, it’s an absolute feast for the eyes. The stage consists of shifting plates stacked on top of each other, rotating and sliding into place for different settings. The narrative lives off of its words rather than dazzling effects, injecting a surprising amount of devastating humour into a cleverly adapted tragedy. Integrating urgent talking points revolving around immigration, refugees, women’s rights, queerness, and politics effortlessly and blending them with beats and rhymes, Bacchae is an absolute delight, a fresh take that honours the original while blending it with current affairs. A stunning success that begs to be seen!
