The Oresteia
09 July 2026
Bridge Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
The Oresteia, currently running at the Bridge Theatre until 19 September, is an ambitious modernisation of Aeschylus’s trilogy of the same name, the only ancient Greek trilogy of plays to survive in their entirety.
Set between 2016 and 2026, the play revolves around the family of a modern day war profiteer who sacrifices the reputation of his daughter to save his company. In revenge, his wife and her new lover plot to murder him, which in turn leads their son to avenge his father’s death and finally face the consequences.
The stage design is an ingenious work of art, a brutalist concrete building with large window fronts. revolving on stage to reveal the different rooms as needed. It’s beautifully effective and evocative, like a prison of the family’s own making, holding them captive in an oppressive cube while allowing the audience to follow their every move. There’s an intricate choreography involved in moving actors from room to room while the building is rotating, simultaneously changing the sets when they are revolved away from curious eyes. This dance works incredibly well to keep the action dynamic and natural throughout, even the narrative intensifies.
Jumping back and forth through different stages of the story, even those familiar with the source material are kept on edge as time absolutely flies by despite the marathon run time of almost four hours. The fate of the compellingly written characters is wrapped around a central narrative of generational trauma and mental illness.
A stunning production that will stay with viewers for a very long time!
