site.btaUPDATED Ivan Vazov National Theatre Premieres Javor Gardev's "The Bacchae" in Epidaurus

Bulgarian director Javor Gardev presented the production The Bacchae on Friday evening at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece, where it was met with prolonged applause from the audience. The performance marked the beginning of the production's summer tour in the country, which will include a total of 13 performances. The production will have its second premiere on July 11.

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.

The premiere is 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.

Among those attending the premiere 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.

Afterwards, 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 13, the Ivan Vazov National Theatre's summer tour in Greece will be presented at the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) National Press Club in Athens.

The tour schedule is as follows: July 10 – Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus; July 11 – Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus; 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.