The Bacchae

by Euripides

Directed by Danny Partington


A double bill in collaboration with PurpleDoor, featuring The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and The Bacchae by Euripides.

God of alcohol, theatre, and ecstasy, Dionysus returns to Thebes, the city of his birth, to honour his deceased mother. But with the new king Pentheus insisting that he is no God, and his mother a liar for claiming she slept with Zeus, Dionysus turns the young men of Thebes mad and forms his own cult, seeking to convince Pentheus to amend his ways. Will the king die for his honour, or will Dionysus finally receive the respect he so desires?

A pink handbag on a city street with a bloodstain and blood drops on the ground nearby. Text overlay includes quote from Oscar Wilde about being earnest, and other phrases like 'The party's over' and 'The bacchae Euripides'.

Background

The Marauders leant into the cultish origins of the Bacchae with this production, using the music of Danish experimental folk band Heilung to create a deeply unsettling, ritualistic, and brutal show, complete with a fully cast decapitated head!

This production focused more on male vulnerability than the traditional and outdated notion of female hysteria, but equally the bond that forms between men in adversity. Whilst not overly a play about mental health, the Marauders has sought to be a safe space for the men of the company to talk openly and without judgment, and receiving the support of their peers, and this production allowed that to bleed onto the stage as well.

“One of the best plays I’ve ever seen”

“Traumatised…but in a good way”

“Excellent cast”

“Phenomenal adaptation of a classic”

“The severed head really caught me off guard!”

Two men are engaged in a dramatic scene, with one man touching the other's chin and the other looking emotional. A third person is blurred in the background.
A woman standing on stage in a white outfit, speaking or acting, with a man seated on the floor nearby, and another person partially visible in the foreground.
Two men stand on a stage, one in the foreground with a serious expression, wearing a dark blazer and light pants, holding a small plant. The other in the background, wearing a white shirt and pants with eyes covered by a black blindfold, also holding
A young man standing on a small stage or platform, framed by blurred figures in the foreground, with a dark curtain behind him, in an indoor setting.
Two mannequins dressed in leopard print clothing, one in a crop top and skirt, the other in a sleeveless top, illuminated by pink and purple lighting.
A young man with tousled dark hair wearing a light blue t-shirt and pajama pants, standing in a dimly lit room facing another person with blurred features.
A man with a costume that has a leopard print top, white pants, and no shoes, performing on stage with his hands raised, in front of a curtain with two seated people in the background.
A young man with closed eyes and a neutral expression stands in the foreground, while a woman with glasses, open mouth, and hand gesturing stands in the background, inside a room with a sloped ceiling.
Reenactment of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy with actors portraying JFK, Jackie Kennedy, and others, staged on a wooden floor with dark curtains in the background.
A group of five young people on stage, with one person standing and singing passionately while the others are sitting or standing silent, possibly during a theatrical performance or rehearsal.
Group of actors in White T-shirts performing on stage with intense expressions.
Five young men sitting on a stage, two with blindfolds, in what appears to be a theatrical performance or rehearsal.
Group of people on stage with black curtain backdrop, some holding props including a military hat, a cast severed head, a small plant. All in casual all white and grey clothing, most barefoot.

A Special Thanks To…

Liverpool Arts Bar - Venue and rehearsal space

Play With Fire Productions - Rehearsal space

Joshua Cook - Show photography

PurpleDoor - Collaborator

James Sprague - Choreography

Emilia Lea - Contributor