The Almeida Theatre’s hugely acclaimed Oresteia will transfer to the West End next month with original cast members including Lia Williams, Angus Wright and Jessica Brown Findlay reprising their roles.
Robert Icke’s breath-taking staging of the Greek classic was universally praised for bringing the story of bloody revenge to life in a way Official London Theatre described as “vibrant, essential, surprising, philosophical and horrifying”.
Following its run at the intimate Islington venue earlier this month, the show will get its second life at the Trafalgar Studios for a limited season from 22 August to 5 September. As an added bonus, more than 6,000 audience members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets at Almeida prices from just £10.
Wright and Williams will reprise their epic roles as the conflicted leader Agamemnon and his fated wife Clytemnestra. Spanning decades, the terrifying saga questions whether justice can ever be done and remains as relevant today as when it was first written a staggering 2,000 years ago.
The West End cast will see acclaimed stage actors Williams, Wright and the former Downton Abbey star Brown Findlay joined by fellow original company members Lorna Brown, Annie Firbank, Joshua Higgott, Luke Thompson and Hara Yannas.
Speaking about the opportunity to bring the show to a West End audience, the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold commented: “That a production of this ambition and intensity can find a commercial life is testament to the sheer modernity of the work and Robert Icke’s breath-taking vision.”
This is the latest of a string of high profile West End transfers for productions that started life at the Almeida with past shows including Chimerica, 1984 and King Charles III all successfully making the journey, picking up numerous Olivier Award nominations as a result.
While Greek tragedy moves into Central London, its brutal, visceral stylings remain firmly in place at the Almeida Theatre with Euripides’ hedonistic Bakkhai, starring Ben Whishaw and Bertie Carvel, currently playing. The trio of tragedies will conclude in the autumn with Kate Fleetwood set to take on the iconic title role in Medea.