One intriguing word survives from the original text of this ancient play: 'Zagreus', god of the grave. Following a process of reconstructing this lost tragedy through workshops and discussions with leading practitioners and academics across the world. Egyptians premiered at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre in Kent in February 2023.

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The workshop process is integral to rebuilding the tetralogy. Rather than just using a paper and pencil approach, we aim to work practically in much the same way that Aeschylus would have. Using music, movement and acting, we integrate them from the start in the creation of the whole production. Each workshop process forms part of a larger iterative scheme that will slowly and surely build up the plays and productions simultaneously.

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It is central to our ambition that wherever we conduct a workshop, we later offer the opportunity to be a venue for a performance of the finished plays. In this way participants’ contributions are honoured and returned to them, closing a powerful, virtuous circle of creation. 

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The development process for Egyptians took place in Cairo with El Warsha Theater Company and the Centre for the Stick Arts in Mallawy, in London and in Canterbury.  

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We are working with the Institute of Cultural and Creative Studies at the University of Kent, as well as London South Bank University, whose generous support helped realise the production in tandem with National Lottery Funding from Arts Council England.