The Citizens Theatre Returns to Edinburgh International Festival with ORESTEIA

The Citizens Theatre returns to the Edinburgh International Festival with Oresteia: This Restless House, a powerful reimagining of Aeschylus' The Oresteia by Zinnie Harris, directed by Dominic Hill.

Announced today as part of the Edinburgh International Festival programme, Oresteia: This Restless House in association with the National Theatre of Scotland will play at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh from 22 - 27 August 2017. The production will preview at the Citizens Theatre on 15, 16 and 17 August and return to Glasgow from 31 August - 9 September.

Zinnie Harris' landmark adaptation of The Oresteia tells the bloody saga of a family torn apart by a succession of murders and betrayals. First performed in 485 BC, today's audience will find that Dominic Hill's production brings the universal themes of justice, revenge, loyalty, and the evolving relationships between teenagers and their parents bang up to date in this blistering drama exposing the fragility of a family's bonds.

Originally presented as a trilogy of plays and now presented as one epic theatrical event, Zinnie Harris's trailblazing new work was nominated for 'Best New Play' at the UK Theatre Awards in 2016 and was awarded Best New Play and Best Director at the 2016 Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Pauline Knowles was awarded Best Actress for her role as the vengeful Clytemnestra and leads a powerful ensemble cast.

Following today's programme announcement, Artistic Director Dominic Hill said:
"I am delighted to be bringing Oresteia: This Restless House to The Edinburgh International Festival. At the Citizens we strive to make work that is epic in nature, with an international reach, but which equally feels relevant to our audiences at home in the Gorbals. The Festival is a great fit for this production and allows us to re-mount it in Glasgow too. Zinnie Harris' reworking of the original retains the enormity of the Oresteia while at the same time rooting the story in a modern family context that feels instantly recognisable and accessible. Revenge, desire and the love between parents and their children are at the core of the play that aims to captivate, entertain and disturb audiences."

Returning to the Edinburgh International Festival is another milestone in Hill's five year tenure as Artistic Director of the Gorbals theatre having presented his first season in 2012. Known for his contemporary re-imaginings of classic texts, Hill is the most nominated director in the 14 year history of the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland, winning five awards for Best Director including Betrayal in 2012, Crime and Punishment in 2014 and This Restless House in 2016.

Many of the original 2016 cast have been reassembled and include familiar faces from some of the most acclaimEd Scottish theatre productions of recent years including George Anton, George Costigan, Keith Fleming, Pauline Knowles, Lorn MacDonald, Itxaso Moreno, Olivia Morgan and Anita Vettesse. Nikola Kodjabashia (music), Colin Richmond (design), Ben Ormerod (lighting design) and EJ Boyle (movement) return as the creative team to remount this play.

The Citizens last appeared at Edinburgh International Festival in 2015 with an adaptation of Alasdair Gray's Lanark, written by David Greig and directed by Graham Eatough, the first time the Gorbals playhouse had been included in the festival since 1998.

Tickets for This Restless House at the Citizens Theatre and at Edinburgh International Festival go on sale on Saturday 25 March at 10am.

This production of This Restless House is supported through the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.

Photo credit: Tim Morozzo