The Bacchae: Company of Wolves takes Ewan Downie's solo show on an English tour

Ewan Downie in the Company of Wolves production. Photo: Louise Mather.

Glasgow's acclaimed Company of Wolves is bringing its solo retelling of The Bacchae to England next spring. Written and performed by Ewan Downie, the show reworks Euripides' ancient Greek tragedy, first performed in Athens in 405BC, and tours from Tuesday 2 March to Saturday 24 April 2027.

The production is the final work directed by the late choreographer and creative director Ian Spink, cofounder of the dance company Second Stride, the first British contemporary dance company to tour the US. His directing credits included A Mouthful of Birds at the Young Vic and Petruska for Scottish Ballet. Spink was a significant creative influence on both this show and Downie's earlier solo piece, Achilles, seen at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018, and his legacy remains central to the production.

The story

The Bacchae brings to life the myth of Dionysos, the untamed god of theatre, wine and hedonism, through storytelling, movement and ancient song. Downie plays five characters from Greek mythology: Dionysus, his father Zeus, his mother Semele, her sister Agave and Agave's son Pentheus, King of Thebes.

The venues sum it up in three lines: an outcast god, a powerless king, and a mother who kills her only son. The piece blurs the lines between human and animal, male and female, victim and perpetrator, taking audiences on a journey from rejection and vengeance to rebirth.

Downie said: “I first fell in love with this story 30 years ago, so making this show has been a long time coming. The story of a god who is so upset when he's rejected that he takes terrifying and bloody revenge, has always rung true.”

He added: “Since we first made the show in 2023 it has only become more relevant, more urgent: in a time of relentless division, The Bacchae looks at what pushing others away costs, and what it might take for us to be whole again.”

The creative team

This version is also directed by Heather Knudtsen, and it was developed closely with the School of Classics at the University of St Andrews and the Ancient Greek specialist Dr Michael Carroll. Original songs are by Downie and Anna Porubcansky, who is also sound designer. Alisa Kalyanova designs the set and costumes, and Katharine Williams designs the lighting.

Tour dates

The tour opens at Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, where it runs from 2 to 6 March 2027, then visits Warwick Arts Centre on 9 March, Lichfield Garrick on 11 March, Nottingham Playhouse on 12 March and The Place in Bedford on 17 March. It continues to The Garage in Norwich, the Mercury Theatre in Colchester and Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham, before finishing at Slung Low in Leeds on 24 April. A further venue is to be announced.

How long is the show?

It runs for about 55 minutes with no interval.

Is it suitable for children?

It is recommended for ages 14 and over. One venue notes scenes of violence and flashing lights.

Where it began

It premiered at The Barn in Aberdeenshire and The Byre Theatre in St Andrews in autumn 2023, played a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025, and toured 13 venues across Scotland in spring 2026.

More to read

Planning a night out on the tour? See our guide to Nottingham theatre, our guide to Birmingham theatre or our guide to Leeds theatre.