ElectraStill03Introduction

“Electra” is a play written by the Greek film director and playwright Michael Cacoyannis, based on the classic tragedy by Sophocles. The play, starring Irene Papas in the lead role, was staged in Cyprus and Greece in 1983 and for its performance Vangelis composed an original score.

Michael Cacoyannis (1922-2011) was a Greek filmmaker from Cyprus, best known for his Academy award-winning film “Zorba The Greek” (1964) starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates and Irene Papas. Cacoyannis would work more often with Irene Papas, for instance in his films based on Greek tragedies such as “Elektra” (1962), “The Trojan Women” (1971) and “Iphigenia” (1977). One of Cacoyannis first films “Stella” (1955) would also be a debut for the famous Greek actress Melina Mercouri. Apart from films, Michael Cacoyannis also wrote and directed many stage plays and several opera’s.

Irene Papas and Vangelis met in Italy in 1970, after which they became life-long friends. She contributed vocals on the Infinity-track of Aphrodite’s Child album “666” that same year and recorded two albums with Vangelis including Greek folk (Odes, 1979) and Byzantine music (Rapsodies, 1986).

ElectraStill04The 1983 play “Electra” lasted about 90 minutes and was staged on three locations:

  • Archbishop Makarios III Amphitheatre (Nicosia, Cyprus)
  • Kourion Amphitheatre  (Cyprus)
  • Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus (Greece). Staged on the 24th and 25th of June as part of the Athens Festival.

Other plays that Irene Papas staged or performed in for which Vangelis provided a musical score are:

  •  "Medea" (1992) performed at the Theatre Grec in Barcelona (Spain)
  • “Theodora” (1994) performed at the Culturgest in Lisbon (Portugal)
  • "Las Troyanas" (2001) performed at the Altos Hornos workshops in Sagunto (Spain)
  • "Ecuba" & “Le Troiane” (2003) performed at Tor Vergata University in Rome (Italy)
  • "Antigone" (2005) performed at the Greek Theatre in Syracuse (Italy). 

 

ElectraStill06Details and credits

  • Title: Electra
  • Year: 1983
  • Country: Cyprus and Greece
  • Length: apx. 90 minutes
  • Author: Sophocles
  • Adapted by Michael Cacoyannis.
  • Translation by George Winter.
  • Directed by Michael Cacoyannis.
  • Costumes by Marina Karella.
  • Music by Vangelis Papathanassiou.

Cast

  • Irene Papas - Electra
  • Barnabas Kyriazis - Orestes
  • Jenny Gaitanopoulou - Clytemnestra
  • Barnabas Kyriazis - Pyladis
  • Spyros Stavrinidis - Teacher
  • Annita Santoriniou - Chrysothemis
  • Stelios Kafkaridis - Aegisthus
  • Dancers: Despina Bebedeli, Lenia Sorokou, Maria Micha, Alkistis Pavlidou, Elli Kyriakidou, Ioanna Siafkalli, Florentia Dimitriou, Adriani Maleni, Vasso Papacharalambous and Popi Avraam.

 

Media

There are no known recordings of any performance of this play.

 

Links

 

Gallery

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All photos courtesy of the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation.