Blending music and storytelling, The Bacchae presents impressive Scottish theatre as Ewan Downie’s production takes on the ancient Greek myth of Dionysos. The play heightens its storytelling clout with some intriguing lighting and staging, as well as an impressive one-person performance from Downie.
This new work from Company of Wolves is based on the Euripides play, which dates back to 406 BCE. Centring on the origins of Dionysos, the god returns to Thebes to avenge the insult of King Pentheus, who mocks his name. Calling the women of Thebes into the wilderness, Dionysos seeks to lure Pentheus into a trap, resulting in a blood-soaked end.
Performed in Banchory and St Andrews in 2023, Downie’s adaptation of The Bacchae now makes its way to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s Assembly Roxy. Taking place on a stage adorned with LED lighting tubes, the rear four housed in supermarket milk carts, effectively designed by Katharine Williams, the result is a stage that feels open and vulnerable, the changing hues of the lights mirroring the varying atmospheric mood of The Bacchae.
Opening with traditional song delivered acoustically, we feel transported to a Greece of gods and myths as Downie chants in ancient language, complete with tunic. The performer brings an impressive physicality to the piece, brimming with emotion as he embodies figures of legend including Dionysos, Zeus, Pentheus, Semele, and Agave. Showcasing an impressive versatility and bold storytelling ability, Downie is always a pleasure to watch through The Bacchae.
While the visual and physical storytelling are striking, the narrative flow is not always clear, at times leaving the audience adrift in the myth’s complexity. For some, this ambiguity will deepen the mystery; for others, it may obscure The Bacchae‘s impact.
Ultimately, Company of Wolves’ version of The Bacchae is a visually bold and atmospheric retelling that shines more through mood than narrative clarity.
The Bacchae runs at Assembly’s Roxy until August 24. Tickets are available here.
