Epidaurus

The first tickets for the annual Athens & Epidaurus Festival are now available.

The last of Sophocles' three Theban plays, "Oedipus at Colonus," describes the end of the mythical king's tragic life and was written shortly before the ancient playwright's own death in 406/5 BC.

First presented in 405 BC, Aristophanes' comedy "The Frogs," which tells the story of the god Dionysus, who, despairing of the state of Athens's tragedians, travels to the underworld to bring the playwright Euripides back from the dead, will be staged at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus on August 10 and 11, starting at 9 p.m.

Aeschylus' play "Prometheus Bound" will be staged at the Little Theater of Ancient Epidaurus on August 3 and 4, in a production directed by Martha Frintzila.

First presented in 408 BC, Euripides' "Orestes," which follows the events after Orestes has killed his mother, Clytemnestra, to avenge the death of his father Agamemnon at her hands, will be staged at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus on August 3 and 4, starting at 9 p.m.

"Thesmophoriazusae," considered one of Aristophanes' most brilliant parodies of Athenian society, written at a time when democracy was replaced by oligarchy, will be staged at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus on July 27 and 28.

The annual Philippi Festival brings life to the ancient theater and showcases the city's history, traditions and cultural output. The program includes work by artists from every genre who are based in Kavala, a number of productions that featured at the Athens and Epidaurus festivals, plays by the Greek and Cypriot state theater companies, concerts, as well as art exhibitions.

Aeschylus' "Agamemnon" takes center stage next weekend at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus as part of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival. Plotting, unfortunate fates and morality loom large in the first play of the "Oresteia" trilogy, which focuses on the return of Agamemnon to his kingdom and family. The play will be in Greek with English surtitles. Both performances begin at 9 p.m.

Performances by Sting and Bill Murray are the main highlights of this year's Athens and Epidaurus Festival, whose program was unveiled on Monday by artistic director Vangelis Theodoropoulos.

Because of its geographical position, Greece was a crossroad of civilisations that had left their traces everywhere: the architecture of the museums and settlements, miniature art, daily life, nutritional customs and in all forms of popular art in the various regions of the country.