The Bacchae
A god who doesn't fit in.
A woman barely holding on.
A king who refuses to dance.
What happens when they all let go?
Touring Scotland over March-May 2026
An invocation. A celebration. A sacrifice.
An outcast god. A powerless king. A mother who kills her only son.
Glasgow's acclaimed Company of Wolves present an earth-shattering solo retelling of the myth of Dionysos: an epic of rejection, vengeance and rebirth told through story, dance and ancient song.
Written and performed by Ewan Downie, The Bacchae blurs the lines between binaries: human and animal, male and female, victim and perpetrator, and takes us on a transformative journey from repression and denial to renewal and release. A hymn of rebirth for our shattered selves.
The playtext for The Bacchae is on sale through Playwright's Studio Scotland, here.
The Bacchae premiered at The Barn in Aberdeenshire and The Byre Theatre in St Andrews in Autumn 2023, and returned for a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025. Now, it tours Scotland-wide in Spring 2026 - see dates below.
PERFORMANCE DATES
The Studio, Edinburgh
on sale 3rd December
The Studio, Edinburgh
on sale 3rd December
Stromness Town Hall, Stromness, Orkney
on sale soon
Cromarty Hall, St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney
on sale soon
CatStrand, New Galloway, Dumfries and Galloway (part of Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival)
on sale in 2026
The Merse, Wigtown, (part of Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival)
on sale in 2026
Reviews
“ truly sensational
“ richly, writhingly poetic ... an impressively physical performance
“ A stripped back, lyrical retelling ... a thing of beauty
“ “the beauty of the lyricism ... an impressive piece of work”
“ Ewan Downie channels Dionysos with a raw, ritualistic intensity ... It’s fearless.
“ gripping
Gallery
Film
Credits
Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland