Oxford Classical Drama Society’s 2026 Triennial Greek Play: Euripides’s Iphigenia at Aulis
Oxford Playhouse
4 – 7 November 2026
The infamous “thousand ships” lie in the bay of waveless Aulis, a port town on the Euboean Gulf—they wait for the winds to blow Troy-wards. Day after day passes of unfavourable weather: it comes to light that Artemis, goddess of the hunt, has taken ire against Lord Agamemnon. She shall not permit the winds to blow—not without the sacrifice of a virgin at her altar. With an ambivalence that shall soon drive him hysterical, the general sends for his wife, Clytemnestra, to travel thither in haste—and to bring their young, unwed daughter. Iphigenia is – or so he purports – to be married to the demigod Achilles, aristos Achaiōn. Why, there would be no greater honour…
To convey the sense of Aulis’s rural isolation, and to complicate notion(s) of “nationalist identity”, our vision for Iphigenia at Aulis invokes Celtic-inspired aesthetics, both acoustic and visual. We will be putting on a six show run from November 4th to November 7th at the Oxford Playhouse, with four evening performances from Wednesday to Saturday and two matinees on Thursday and Saturday.
The show has a 14+ age rating and is recommended for Year 10 (GCSE) and above. Content warning for discussions and depictions of violence, human sacrifice, war, misogynist and nationalist ideologies, and flashing lights. ‘
For more information and to book tickets, please visit the Oxford Playhouse webpage for the event.
Note: this is a fee-paying event run by an organisation which is not affiliated to, or funded by, the Classical Association. Please contact the organisers directly with any enquiries.
