A curse holds humanity in its grip: greed. Everything falls victim to our addiction to oil. King Agamemnon and his army march belligerently across the world in search of ever-new energy sources, penetrating ever deeper into the body of Gaia, the life-giving earth goddess, in their quest for oil. Meanwhile, all the gardens of Artemis are ablaze. His daughter Iphigenia—a sort of Greta Thunberg of the ancient Aegean—was sacrificed by her father in the flames of his war and has since wandered about as a warning shadow. When Agamemnon returns without the child, her mother Clytemnestra takes up arms. Cassandra, whom he had dragged along as his concubine, is also executed in revenge. She had long foreseen the great conflagration that was ignited here. But as always, no one listened to her—who believes a woman, after all? Now it is too late... Even Electra and Orestes, the representatives of the “last generation” in this drama, realize that Mother Clytemnestra and her lover are not a bit better than their father—for they all need energy to sustain their power. The Furies are already waiting. Blood flows like oil. Is there still a way to escape this curse? What could be thicker than blood and oil and redeem us from the eternal cycle of violence?

In his adaptation Circus Oresteia, the renowned playwright Thomas Köck takes on the ancient tragic trilogy known as the Oresteia and openly explores the guilt we all share. Philipp Preuss directs this familiar yet fresh take on the myth of the “cycle of waste” on the open-air stage in Raffelberg Park.

Following the performance on July 3, we cordially invite you to the premiere party featuring DJ Moritz Ridder.

This event is part of the main programme.

With a ticket for the main programme, you can enjoy the supporting programme on the day free of charge!

"Magnificent, captivating imagery. All of it is accompanied by outstanding music from Kornelius Heidebrecht's band The Erinyes: driving, melancholic, seductively dark (...)."

"And then again, so remarkable in its musicality, its compelling imagery, its poignantly articulated grief and anger, right there amidst the tranquil greenery of the park that will soon have withered away. An evening that gets to the very heart of the world's dilemma."

Dorothea Marcus, Nachtkritik

"The interplay of light and digital imagery ultimately allows the playful, often humorous ensemble of this Circus Oresteia to give a voice to otherworldly beings. In this tragedy of humanity, a glimmer of hope emerges: hope for a world of imagination and empathy instead of greed. In this open-air production, nature and culture ultimately come together in a kind of happy ending."

Detlev Baur, Die Deutsche Bühne

"The production masterfully captures the dilemma of the climate crisis (...) a powerful and deeply stirring evening of theatre."

Dorothea Marcus, Deutschlandfunk

"A spectacular story (...) in Raffelberg Park."

"The ensemble of Theater an der Ruhr brings tremendous energy to the stage, making the most of every moment (...)"

Stefan Keim, Deutschlandfunk Kultur

"The Mülheim ensemble impresses with its highly expressive performances."

Andrea Müller, WAZ

“A Great Evening” 

Klaus Stübler, Ruhrnachrichten