Extended search
Wrap-up

Javor Gardev's Play "The Bacchae" Premieres at Greece's Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus

Dimitrina Solakova, Ivan Lazarov
Javor Gardev's Play "The Bacchae" Premieres at Greece's Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Javor Gardev's Play "The Bacchae" Premieres at Greece's Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
"The Bacchae" by Bulgarian director Javor Gardev at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece, July 11, 2026 (BTA Photo/Ivan Lazarov)
Athens,  
12.07.2026 20:47
 (BTA)

Bulgarian director Javor Gardev presented the production The Bacchae  at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece on July 10 and 11. The two premieres were attended by over 15,000 spectators combined, with prolonged applause at the end on both evenings. The performance was among the highlights of this year's Athens Epidaurus Festival programme, a cultural forum in Greece that annually presents productions of ancient drama, theatre, music and dance.

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. It is a co-production of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia and the National Theatre of Northern Greece. Bulgarian actor Leonid Yovchev stars as Dionysus. The performance features Bulgarian and Greek actors, and the music is performed live by the British band The Tiger Lillies.

Among those attending the premiere on July 10 were Bulgaria's cultural attache to Greece Mariana Petrova, Ivan Vazov National Theatre Director Vasil Vasilev, heads of Greek cultural institutions, and representatives of the Bulgarian community.

Vasilev described the premiere as a historic event for the Bulgarian theatre. He told BTA that this year, the National Theatre is participating in several European festivals, including the Athens Epidaurus Festival in Greece, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania, and the Wiener Festwochen in Austria. “We received wonderful reactions everywhere we went. The productions are different, but the audience is delighted with our theatrical style,” said the National Theater Director. 

Bulgarian audience members who had traveled from Chicago to see the performance told BTA that they felt the production raised a number of important issues that remain relevant to this day - seeking balance and avoiding extremes. "We see this everywhere today - in family life, politics, and the economy,” one of them said.

On July 11, the premiere was attended by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, Athens-Macedonian News Agency Chief Editor John Georgiou, as well as Swedish choreographer Fredrik 'Benke' Rydman, creator of the stage concept for Bulgaria's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna in May 2026, which Bulgaria won with the song Bangaranga performed by Dara.

Greek media covered the premieres of Javor Gardev's The Bacchae. In an article in the Greek specialized magazine Book Press, theatre critic Nikos Xenios describes the production as an unusual musical interpretation of Greek playwright Euripides’ tragedy. In the critic's words, the director views Dionysus as a factor destabilizing society and refracts the work through the lens of Balkan nationalisms. In an article for the Greek literary and theatre publication O Anagnostis, theatre critic Olga Sella describes the production as a comprehensive and coherently constructed directorial concept that remains faithful to Euripides’ tragedy while simultaneously linking it to the problems of contemporary societies. In its review of the production, the publication Days of Art notes that the play raises the question of to what extent society is capable of withstanding the disruption of the established order and how a single event can turn into a collective intellectual, psychological, and political trauma. The Greek cultural publication Elculture describes the play as a bold international co-production between Bulgaria and Greece that brings together Bulgarian and Greek actors on one stage, with the music of the British band Tiger Lilies serving as an integral part of the stage action. The Greek publication In highlights the international nature of the production and notes it attracted prominent figures from Greek cultural life, including actors Vassilis Bisbikis, Nikos Kouris, Lena Kitsopoulou, and Evgenia Samara, as well as singer Despina Vandi.

On July 13, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre's summer tour in Greece will be officially launched at the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) National Press Club in Athens. After the two performances at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the tour programme is as follows: July 15 – Vrahon Theatre, Vyronas, Athens; July 17 – Petra Theatre, Athens; July 18 – Veakeio Theatre, Piraeus; July 20 – Siviri Amphitheatre, Halkidiki (Kassandra Festival); July 22 – Gis Theatre, Thessaloniki; July 24 – Katrakio Theatre, Nikaia, Athens; July 26 – Ancient Theatre of Dodona (Dodoni Festival); August 26 – Olympia Theatre, Floka, Ancient Olympia; August 28 – Ancient Theatre of Dion, Pieria; August 30 – Lycabettus Theatre, Athens; September 2 – Ancient Theatre of Philippi, Kavala.

/DS/

Additional

news.modal.image.header

news.modal.image.text

news.modal.download.header

news.modal.download.text

news.modal.header

news.modal.text

By 21:54 on 09.08.2026 Today`s news

This website uses cookies. By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages.

Accept More information