site.btaActor Ivan Yurukov Says "The Bacchae" Transcends Its Time and Remains Relevant Today

The Bacchae play by the Greek playwright Euripides transcends its time and remains relevant in every period of human history, said actor Ivan Yurukov at BTA's National Press Club in Athens on Monday during the presentation of the play's tour.

Yurukov performs the role of the First Messenger in director Javor Gardev's interpretation of The Bacchae which has already had two premieres – on July 10 and 11 at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus as part of the Athens Epidaurus Festival. It is a co-production of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia and the National Theatre of Northern Greece. The performance features Bulgarian and Greek actors, and the music is performed live by the British band The Tiger Lillies.

The Bacchae is the last surviving tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides and depicts the return of the god Dionysus to Thebes and his conflict with King Pentheus. The play will be performed 13 times in different ancient theatres all over Greece.

At BTA's National Press Club in Athens, Yurokov expressed his excitement over the opportunity to experience a tragedy which is a cultural heritage from 2,400 years.

According to Yurukov, one can talk about a milestone in an actor's career – before and after stepping on the stage of the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. The actor noted that the play is impressive in the way in which it raises a fundamental issue which has always stood before mankind: "People fail to learn their lessons and the result is that a man must be torn apart to consolidate the society so it can move forward in its development," Yurukov added.