Elektra Unbound

With Elektra Unbound, NTGent house artist Luanda Casella stages yet another Greek tragedy. At least, that's what we are meant to believe. Hunting for the role of Elektra, three young actors copy various women from literary classics, pop culture and social media. Only to reveal their own problematic self-image.

Driven by ideas of fame, success and other delusions of grandeur, three auditionees go to extremes to get the role of Elektra. In ancient Greek tragedies, Elektra is a girl who wants to avenge her father's death and wants everyone to hear her agony. Sobs and curses, curses and sobs: Elektra does almost nothing else. She never leaves the front door.

Similarly, the three auditionees are trapped in a sensational montage of interviews and improvisations. As they interpret iconic scenes from The Oresteia - the complete trilogy about Elektra and her dysfunctional family - they reveal their disastrous lives of their own.

Late-bloomer director Lua and her fierce assistant Lucius, who have a troublesome relationship, never arrive at the point of actually staging Elektra. Is their inability the result of the complex relation we all have with tragedy, or is there more at play? Why is Lua frantically running away? And why do we get the feeling that these auditioners are all deranged?

Inspired by melodrama and social media, Elektra Unbound switches scenes as if the audience would swipe screens.  Anything to keep the discomfort on stage easily digestible.

English-language performance with Dutch surtitles.

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starring Abigail Gypens, Bavo Buys, Emma Van Ammel, Luanda Casella and Lucius Romeo-Fromm text and direction Luanda Casella translation and surtitles Werkhuis dramaturgy Joline Vermeulen music and video design Pablo Casella lighting design Dennis Diels set design Shizuka Hariu costume design Jo De Visscher acting coaching Jan Steen choreography and movement coaching Lucius Romeo-Fromm production NTGent co-production DE SINGEL, HAU Hebbel am Ufer photo Michiel Devijver