The Oresteia (1981)

Original id: 
577
Start date: 
20 November 1981
Degree of relationship to ancient play: 
Translation
Production notes: 
A recording of the production (performed at the National Theatre, London) was broadcast on Channel 4 television (UK) on Sunday 9 October 1983. The broadcast of The Oresteia was accompanied by a special episode of "Today's History" (Channel 4 documentary series) on Tuesday 4 October, and a documentary film on Saturday 8 October about the 1982 performances at Epidauros.
Media of production: 
Stage-play
Languages: 
English

Information related to this production

Person Role Notes
Sean Baker Actor Chorus and Priestess
David Bamber Actor Chorus
Harrison Birtwistle (1934) Composer
James Carter Actor Chorus and Agamemnon
Timothy Davies Actor Chorus and Pylades
Peter Dawson Actor Chorus
Philip Donaghy Actor Chorus and Clytemnestra
Roger Gartland Actor Chorus and Electra
Peter Hall Director
Tony Harrison Translator
James Hayes Actor Chorus and Nurse
Jocelyn Herbert Designer
Greg Hicks Actor Chorus and Orestes
Stuart Hopps Choreographer
Kenny Ireland Actor Chorus and Apollo
Alfred Lynch Actor Chorus and Aegisthus
John Normington Actor Chorus and Cassandra
Sir Tony Robinson (1946-) AKA Anthony Robinson Actor Chorus and Servant
David Roper Actor Chorus and Watchman
Barrie Rutter Actor Chorus and Herald
Oliver Taplin Academic Adviser
Michael Thomas Actor Chorus and Athena
Venue Festival Dates Notes
Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus (Peloponnese, Greece) 17 June, 1982 to 18 June, 1982
National Theatre (NT), Royal National Theatre (RNT) (London, Greater London, England) 20 November, 1981 20-28 November were preview performances; the production premiered on 30 November 1981.
Source Format Location if held at the APGRD Pagination
The National Theatre's Oresteia, 1981-2 Chapter library 337-357
The total expression of tragedy Newspaper cutting archive
Marathon in masks Newspaper cutting archive
An outline of grandeur Newspaper cutting archive
The Oresteia Newspaper cutting archive
Masks that obscure a tragedy Newspaper cutting archive
Mystery behind the mask Newspaper cutting archive
The magic and the murder that made Greece Newspaper cutting archive
The Oresteia Programme archive
Flame of drama kept alive Newspaper cutting archive
The Oresteia by Aeschylus Newspaper cutting archive 535-536
Oresteia Script archive
Masks for the sex war Newspaper cutting archive
Sir Peter Hall Newspaper cutting archive
The total expression of tragedy (draft) Print-out archive
The drama of justice Newspaper cutting archive
Masked men Newspaper cutting archive
Aeschylus lives on in London Photocopy archive
Masks of tragedy Magazine article archive
Agamemnon's return Newspaper cutting archive
Terrifying power of the mask Newspaper cutting archive
Fears and furies Newspaper cutting archive
The Oresteia Programme archive
The Oresteia Flyer archive
The Oresteia Flyer archive
Letter from Giles Block to Oliver Taplin Correspondence archive
Oresteia programme (draft) Programme archive
The Oresteia by Aeschylus Cast list & credits archive
Today's Oresteia: The Story of Orestes [Duplicate of Material 1958, 1960] Booklet archive
Today's Oresteia: The Story of Orestes [Duplicate of Material 1958, 1959] Booklet archive
National Theatre: Feb/March 1982 Seasonal calendar archive
Letter from John Higgins to Oliver Taplin Correspondence archive
Letter from Lynne Kirwin to Oliver Taplin Correspondence archive
Masked tragedy Newspaper cutting archive
Images from Peter Hall's 1981 Oresteia (Image 1) Photocopy archive
Olympian decision settles theatre's burning problem Newspaper cutting archive
Groans and grudges Newspaper cutting archive
The total expression of tragedy Photocopy archive
Jocelyn Herbert: A Theatre Workbook Photocopy archive
NT25 poll winner 1981: The Oresteia by Aeschylus in a version by Tony Harrison Programme archive
NT25 poll winner 1981: The Oresteia Print-out archive
On a far grander scale even than … Photocopy archive
Meanwhile, over the water the NT has been trying to match The Greeks … Photocopy archive
Harrison's Aeschylus and Logue's Homer Photocopy archive
NT25 Booklet archive
Theatre Works, 1973-1985 Book library cast 186-187; text 190-292
Omnibus. Issue 03 (March 1982) Journal library 8-9, 29
Image 1 from Oresteia B&W photograph archive
Image 2 from Oresteia - larger B&W photograph archive
Image 3 from Oresteia - smaller B&W photograph archive
Image 3 from Oresteia - larger B&W photograph archive
Image 2 from Oresteia - smaller B&W photograph archive
Image 4 from Oresteia B&W photograph archive
Image 5 from Oresteia B&W photograph archive
NT education workpack: The Oresteia Print-out archive
Jocelyn Herbert Newspaper cutting archive
Audio recording of Agamemnon workshop (8 CDs) CD archive
Plays Four: The Oresteia; The Common Chorus (Parts I and II) Book library cast 37; text 39-182
Omnibus. Issue 27 (January 1994) Journal library 13
Omnibus. A Choice of Articles from Issues 1-7 (July 1987) Journal library 49-52
National Theatre: The Oresteia Leaflet archive
The Oresteia Programme archive
Oresteia Chorus Photograph archive
Tony Harrison notebooks - photocopies Photocopy archive
Correspondence between Peter Hall and Harold Baldry Correspondence archive
Agamemnon's return - 'Guardian' article Newspaper cutting archive
Die Orestie des Aischylos auf der modernen Buhne Book library 112
Inszenierung der Antike: das Griechische Drama auf der Bühne der Neuzeit Book library 265, 396
Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics. Vol.04.1 (Spring 1996) Journal library 159ff. 2306
Nel Nome di Dioniso: Vita Teatrale Nell' Atene Classica Book library b&w image between 256 and 257
The Cambridge Companion to Greek Tragedy Book library 316
Videotape of documentary - The Present in the Past, including clips from productions Videotape archive
Videotape of TV programme - Zig-Zag Videotape archive
Living Greek Theatre: A Handbook of Classical Performance and Modern Production Book library 349-351
Oresteia: Libation Bearers (TV film of National Theatre stage production) Videotape archive
Aeschylus: Oresteia Book library xli
Videotape of television programme - Michael Billington interviews Peter Hall Videotape archive
Today's Oresteia: The Story of Orestes Booklet archive
TV Times: Tuesday Channel 4 Newspaper cutting archive
Tales of Agatha and Agamemnon: Guardian Arts Newspaper cutting archive
History Today: Today's Oresteia: The Story of Orestes Flyer archive
Clear and unmasked, but still a tragedy Newspaper cutting archive
Oresteia: Agamemnon (TV film of stage production) Videotape archive
Oresteia: Eumenides - videotape of TV film of stage production Videotape archive
TV Documentary on the Oresteia (National Theatre, 1983) Videotape archive
Oxford Guide to Classical Mythology in the Arts, 1300-1990s. Vol.1 Book library 73
A century of English ritual Newspaper cutting archive
Letter from Philip Hooker to Amanda Wrigley Correspondence archive
The fizz behind the mask Print-out archive
Letter from John Blundell to Peter Brown Photocopy archive
Omnibus. Issue 43 (January 2002) Journal library 23
Peter Hall's Bacchai Book library
National Theatre Seasonal calendar archive 3
Omnibus. Issue 04 (November 1982) Journal library 16-19
Greek Tragedy and the British Stage, 1566-1997 Print-out archive 130
Revenge Tragedy: Aeschylus to Armageddon Book library 69
JACT Review. No.32 (Autumn 2002) Journal library 13 2472
Reception Studies Book library iv, 55n7
Dionysus Since 69: Greek Tragedy at the Dawn of the Third Millennium Book library 89-90, 255-256, 313, 388, etc
Oresteia trilogy Photocopy archive
Dioniso: Annale della Fondazione INDA. Vol.2 (new series) Journal library 208
Rolling out the Red Carpet: Power 'Play' in Modern Greek Versions of the Myth of Orestes from the 1960s and 1970s. Part I Offprint library 53 n.6
Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics. Vol.12.1 (Spring/Summer 2004) Journal library 59 34
Agamemnon in Performance: 458 BC to AD 2004 Book library fig 13.1 and 13.2, 18, 192-193, 199ff., 235ff., 298, 309f., 399-401
JACT Review. No.24 (Autumn 1998) Journal library 9
Omnibus. A Choice of Articles from Issues 8-17 (Autumn 1991) Journal library 49, 50
Omnibus. Issue 16 (November 1988) Journal library 14
Omnibus. Issue 32 (September 1996) Journal library 14
Plays International. Vol.19.7 (April/May 2004) Journal library 16
NT Programme Notes Programme archive
Oresteia programme notes Programme archive
Oresteia flyer Flyer archive
Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics. Vol.16.1 (Spring/Summer 2008) Journal library 109 In Martin Reverman's article, 'The Appeal of Dystopia: latching onto Greek drama in the twentieth century', pp.97-117.
Oresteia - Programme Programme archive
Theorising Performance Book library 235-236 S. Harrop, 'Physical Performance and the Languages of Translation'
DVD - excerpts of recordings of Greek tragedies selected by Oliver Taplin and Pantelis Michelakis DVD archive
Jocelyn Herbert: A Theatre Workbook Book library
Photographs of Tony Harrison's Oresteia notebooks DVD archive
Photographs of APGRD 30th anniversary celebration and exhibition Print-out archive
Facing up to the Muses - Tony Harrison's presidential address Journal archive

How to cite this production

The Oresteia (1981), accessed at http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/productions/production/577 <27 April 2024>