Synopsis
The tragedy of Electra presents a family story, set after the Trojan War, in which Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, is murdered by his wife Clytemnestra upon his return from the war. This act of revenge stems from his sacrifice of Iphigenia (their daughter and sister of Orestes, Chrysothemis, and Electra), a sacrifice he was forced to make so that the Greek ships could sail safely to Troy. Thus, Orestes decides to avenge his father's death, faking his own. This act plunges Electra into deep sorrow, as she had once saved his life when Clytemnestra had tried to kill him, perhaps to escape the vengeance she suspected was coming.
Presentation of the play
Director Ivo van Hove states that all his projects are born from a "love at first sight" with a text. In this production, he combines two plays by Euripides and tells the story of a brother, Orestes, and a sister, Electra, who join forces in crime and revenge.
