Acting as a true ambassador of Greek theatre in Asia, Euripides’ Hippolytus, directed by Katerina Evangelatos, thrilled the audience in Hong Kong, masterfully conveying both the tradition of Ancient Drama and the expressive language of contemporary Greek artistic vision. The production was staged at the packed Lyric Theatre at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2, casting a spell on approximately 2,400 viewers who had secured their tickets months in advance.

The audience’s response was immediate and overwhelming: unflinching focus throughout the performance, thunderous applause, exultant ovations, and profound emotional resonance in two sold-out performances that left a bold mark on the Festival’s programme. The rhythm and energy of the performers, harmonised with the live music that animated their words, captivated the audience, while the atmospheric stage design drew every gaze to the stage of the impressive auditorium, conjuring an unprecedented and immersive experience.

The reception of the cast and crew after the curtain call was disarming, as the performers were called back to the stage repeatedly following the prolonged waves of applause. Beyond the fervour within the venue, numerous audience members, primarily young ones, were eagerly waiting backstage to meet and congratulate up close the performers.

Presented as part of the 53rd Hong Kong Arts Festival—an internationally prestigious cultural institution that has hosted some of the most esteemed names of the contemporary artistic scene—the performance further bolstered the presence of Greek theatre on the global artistic stage.

Programme Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Mr. So Kwok Wan, stated, “The invitation to present a work stemming directly from the ancient Greek tradition at the Hong Kong Arts Festival was a challenge for us. I truly believed in this production the moment I first saw it. I felt it was a work that could succeed in introducing our audience to ancient drama as it embraced a contemporary aesthetic while honouring tradition.”

Among the distinguished attendees were the President of the Board of Directors of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, Dimitris Passas, its General Director, Ioannis Kaplanis, the founder of the Lykofos organisation, George Lykiardopoulos, the Programme Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, So Kwok Wan, artistic directors of prominent international cultural organisations, as well as numerous journalists.

Director of the play and Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, Katerina Evangelatos, remarked, “We are all so grateful for the opportunity to present our vision of this remarkable work by Euripides at such a prestigious festival, which, for the very first time, welcomed a Greek production. The audience’s response was profoundly moving. From the very first moment, right to the final bow, we felt their presence on our side. The enthusiastic reception of the cast and crew at the curtain call, as well as the heartfelt words exchanged afterwards with many audience members who waited outside the theatre, filled us with joy and gave us renewed momentum as Hippolytus’ continues its trail across Greece and beyond.”

The production was sponsored by Piraeus Bank, a steadfast partner of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, which embraced the endeavour from the outset, breathing life into the vision of promoting the global outreach of contemporary Greek creativity. Through this collaboration, which falls under its Corporate Responsibility Program, Piraeus Bank reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Arts and Culture.

Valuable contributors to this endeavour were also ADMIE and the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO).

The production first premiered at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in July 2023 as a National Theatre of Greece production within the framework of the Athens Epidaurus Festival. It then proceeded on a successful tour across major stages in Greece and Cyprus, garnering enthusiastic reviews from both Greek and international media. In Hong Kong, it was presented as a co-production of the National Theatre of Greece, the Athens Epidaurus Festival, and the cultural organisation Lykofos, founded by George Lykiardopoulos.

Credits

Translation Kostas Topouzis
Dramaturgy—Adaptation—Direction Katerina Evangelatos
Set design Eva Manidaki
Music composition—Orchestration Alexandros-Drakos Ktistakis
Video design Pantelis Makkas
Choreography Alexandros Stavropoulos
Costume design Eva Goulakou
Lighting design Eliza Alexandropoulou
Sound design Ilias Flammos
Assistant to the director—Photography Giorgos Braoudakis
Assistant to the set designer Katerina Vlachmpei
Assistant to the costume designer Alexandra-Anastasia Ftouli
Hairstyling Konstantinos Kolioussis
Makeup Olga Faleichyk

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Orestis Chalkias: Hippolytus, Stefania Goulioti: Phaedra, Christina Maxouri: Nurse, Dimitris Papadimitriou: Messenger, Elena Topalidou: Aphrodite/Artemis, Giannis Tsortekis: Theseus
Chorus of women Daphne Kiourktsoglou, Anastasia-Rafaela Konidi, Amalia Ninou, Melina Polyzoni
Chorus of hunters Marios Chatziantoni, Nikolas Chatzivasiliadis, Christos Diamantoudis, Georgios Vassilopoulos, Konstantinos Georgalis, Nikos Gonidis, Iraklis Kostakis, Alexandros Piechowiak
Live music performance Alexandros-Drakos Ktistakis

Co-production:

National Theatre of Greece

Athens Epidaurus Festival

Lykofos/George Lykiardopoulos

Production management Konstantina Angeletou (Lykofos)
Production management Olga Mavroidis (Athens Epidaurus Festival)
Technical coordination—Stage management Antigoni Neta
Stage engineer Stelios Lampadarios
Set painting & sculpture Thanasis Foteinias
Hospitality manager Martha Roussou

Sponsors

With the support of

The plants used in the stage design were generously sponsored by Gryllis Water Lilies.

More info: https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/programme/HIPPOLYTUS