Euripides’ classic tragedy Hippolytus, a co-production of the National Theatre of Greece and Lykofos Cultural Organization, is set to make history this March as the first Greek-language performance ever staged at the prestigious Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF).
Directed by the acclaimed Katerina Evangelatos—artistic director of Greece’s leading cultural institution, the Athens Epidaurus Festival (AEF)—this production features a 20-member cast of actors, chorus, and musicians. It will be performed in Greek with English and Chinese surtitles on March 1 and 2 as part of the 53rd edition of HKAF.
photo-by-©-Karol-Jarek
A Landmark Moment for Greek Theatre in Asia
The inclusion of Hippolytus in Hong Kong’s premier cultural event, which has showcased top global artists for over 50 years, marks a significant step in expanding the reach of contemporary Greek art and ancient drama.
photos by © Andreas Simopoulos
This milestone aligns with the goals of GRAPE – Greek Agora of Performance, an initiative launched in 2023 to promote Greek theatre and dance on the international stage. As part of this effort, Evangelatos and AEF General Director Ioannis Kaplanis participated in major Asian arts festivals, including the Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) and the China Shanghai International Performing Arts Festival (CSIPAF), forging cultural collaborations that pave the way for future productions.
photos by © Andreas Simopoulos
Inside Euripides’ Hippolytus
Originally presented at the Dionysia festival in 428 BC, Hippolytus unfolds in Troezen, a coastal town in the northeastern Peloponnese. The story follows Hippolytus, the illegitimate son of Theseus, who has pledged himself to chastity and devotion to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. His rejection of love and disdain for women provoke the wrath of Aphrodite, the goddess of desire, who seeks revenge by making his stepmother, Phaedra, fall hopelessly in love with him.
photo-by-©-Karol-Jarek
Evangelatos’ direction frames Aphrodite as a voyeuristic force, relishing the chaos she unleashes upon mortals. The production strips its characters—both literally and metaphorically—revealing raw human impulses of passion, purity, revenge, and sacrifice. Through this mythical tragedy, the play examines timeless dilemmas: abstinence versus desire, divine power versus free will, and the blurred lines between justice and cruelty.
As The Guardian’s chief theatre critic Arifa Akbar noted in a 2023 review:
“Evangelatos’s modern-dress version of Euripides’ Hippolytus, staged at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, is another example of a radical approach to the classics. Adapted by Evangelatos, its story sees Aphrodite seeking revenge against Hippolytus for taking an oath of chastity and here the goddess is on stage for the entire duration with a camera in hand, making her own film of the drama. It also contains an entirely naked chorus, which, Evangelatos says, has never before been seen at Epidaurus, while Phaedra’s sexual fantasy of Hippolytus is enacted as an orgy on stage.“
photos by © Andreas Simopoulos
Where to Watch the Performance
Following its historic debut in Hong Kong, Hippolytus will return this summer to the Athens Epidaurus Festival, celebrating its 70th anniversary.
The cast includes top Greek actors, many known from the Netflix series Maestro:
- Stefania Goulioti as Phaedra
- Orestis Chalkias as Hippolytus
- Yiannis Tsortekis as Theseus
- Christina Maxouri as the Nurse
- Dimitris Papanikolaou as the Messenger
- Elena Topalidou as Aphrodite/Artemis
Chorus
Daphne Kiourktsoglou, Anastasia-Rafaela Konidi, Amalia Ninou, Melina Polyzoni, Georgios Vasilopoulos, Konstantinos Georgalis, Nikos Gonidis, Christos Diamantoudis, Iraklis Kostakis, Alexandros Piechowiak, Marios Chatziantonis, Nikolas Chatzivasiliadis
Live Music Performance
Alexandros-Drakos Ktistakis
