The Bacchae by Ewan Downie - after Euripedes, tells the story of Dionysos the son of Zeus, King of the Gods. His mother dead and he born from Zeus's thigh he is given to his Aunt Agave to raise. Sent away, he returns to Thebes to find his cousin Pentheus the King.

Pentheus and Agave can't stand for him bringing change and Dance to the women of Thebes. With shapeshifting between human and animal, male and female, the story ends in gruesome reality of Agave killing her only real son. Don't give me a hard time on spoilers the play was first performed in 406BCE.

Ewan Downie gives a magnetic performance as the story teller and characters in the play. His use of movement, dance and song brings us closer to Dionysos.

His description of the violence, dismemberment, death and rebirth is genuinely gorey.

This play is an excellent way to hear and understand the ancient work of Euripedes.