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Iphigenia

 
Richard Beck Review by Richard Beck 2 Published: 15 Apr 2026 Arcola Theatre Show Dates: 9 Apr 2026-2 May 2026

The themes that permeate Greek tragedy are timeless. Every age has been able to identify with the great issues that confronted the classical writers and this is made abundantly clear in Iphigenia at the Arcola Theatre. Based on the story by Euripides, this English version is by Stephen Sharkey and is adapted and directed by Serdar Biliş. However, the promise of an exciting new take on the ancient myth fails to materialise.

The promise of an exciting new take on the ancient myth fails to materialise

There's a gimmicky introduction that would have made more sense had it been part of a bookend device, but that didn't materialise. Instead it is a very weak scene by way of a mobile phone conversation Simon Kunz has with his son while explaining that he’d forgotten it was his turn to set the stage for the play. This includes rolling out the carpets that transform Set and Costume Designer, Mona Camille’s glossy ‘sea’ into an interior space. With that nonsensical opening out of the way, he then dons a formal military jacket as Agamemnon.

Agamemnon's duty is to redeem the honour of Greece against the Trojans or face revolt by his troops, but his fleet cannot set sail without the fair wind that the gods control. Their price is that he sacrifice his daughter. His torment and conflicted position are the heart of the story. In an attempt to place his internal strife within a wider context, devices are employed that detract from this rather than assist the debate.

Projections of womenm from around the world mgiving their views on war and the loss of loved ones disrupt the flow of the play and add nothing to the storyline, but rather form a documentary commentary on the tragic plight of families in regions of conflict. Similarly, when the cast break out of character in asides that tell personal stories of growing up in relation to parents and domestic strife, the connections are too loose to impact the great Greek tale.

The main story is woven amid these interruptions, seemingly making it difficult for the cast to maintain emotional involvement and credibility. Rather, they seem to have distraught set pieces while pleading their causes and debating the issues. Kunz, not surprisingly, dominates, but overwhelmingly appears as a general who would direct from behind the lines at GHQ rather than brandish his sword leading the troops into battle. Mithra Malek plays a devoted and dutiful Iphigenia trying to reconcile herself to the situation while Indra Ové is a distraught yet assertive Clytemnestra. The underused resource is Cretan-born singer and composer Kalia Lyraki, whose pipe-playing is a prelude to the action and her only song has the air of a lament. She could have made a fitting chorus in a differently constructed play.

The plot ultimately becomes confused as an alternative ending, where eagles appear and a deer replaces Iphigenia, is tangled with a version in which she is sacrificed. Yet another unnecessary inclusion in overall disappointing attempt to update the work.

Amir Nisi

Richard Beck

A graduate in theology and education, Richard acted and contributed to dance, drama and music productions throughout his teaching career. He joined Broadway Baby in 2014 and is now our Editor-in-Chief. He usually disappears to warmer climes for the winter to pursue his passion for travel.

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The Blurb:

A young girl stands at the altar. A nation holds its breath.

The winds have stopped. The Greek fleet is stranded. King Agamemnon is told by the gods that there is only one way for his army to reach Troy: he must sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia.

This stark, contemporary reimagining of Euripides’ classic text confronts the timeless question: what do we owe our country – and what do we owe our children?

Blending the brutal beauty of ancient tragedy with voices of today, this bold new production replaces the traditional chorus with filmed testimonies from women across cultures, interwoven with live contemporary folk music that bridges East and West. The testimonies – raw, intimate and fiercely honest – reflect on motherhood, loss, duty and war, reframing the myth for a modern world and offering a powerful counterpoint to a story shaped by the decisions of men.

A story of sacrifice, parenthood and the human cost of war – then and now.

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