The highly influential theatre group Theatre Anon are back on the boards next month after a long hiatus with a pulsating version of the famous Greek tragedy "Agamemnon" chronicling the fall of the house of Atreus. The production will be staged in collaboration with St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity and is based on acclaimed playwright/actor/director Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Aeschylus' tale of the same name. Theatre Anon will bring to the stage their distinct blend of physical theatre employing live musicians, puppetry, dance choreography and visual effects.

“Agamemnon” forms part of Aeschylus' 458 B.C. "Oresteia" trilogy. The trilogy consists in the plays "Agamemnon", "The Choephoroe" (a.k.a. "The Libation Bearers"), and "The Eumenides". The trilogy begins with the story of Agamemnon, king of Argos, who has gone off to the Trojan War to rescue Helen from Paris, only to brutally massacre the citizens of Troy and his daughter Iphegenia. The news of this act has driven Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra into a vengeful rage, and with her lover Aegisthus, she plans to avenge her daughter's death. This murder is also revenge for Aegisthus, whose father was fed the flesh of two of his children by his brother Atreus, Agamemnon's father. Agamemnon returns home with Cassandra, daughter of Priam, king of Troy, who is carrying his child. Theatre Anon will bring to life the story of King Agamemnon's triumphant return home from Troy bringing with him not just victory but also the evil consequences of war.

The cast includes many well-known local actors and musicians such as Toni Attard, Marie Claire Camilleri, Kurt Castillo, Edward Cauchi, Victor Debono, Miriam Galea, Albert Garzia, Charlotte Grech, Edward Mercieca, Sandra Mifsud, Liliana Portelli, Paul Portelli, Jes Psaila, Michela Spiteri, Renzo Spiteri, Sarah Spiteri and Pierre Stafrace.

This is the third time that Theatre Anon have used Berkoff's texts to bring to life their distinctive brand of highly-charged theatre to the Maltese public. In 1993 they put up a successful double bill composed of Berkoff's one-act plays "Lunch" and "Harry's Christmas". In 1999 they utilised Berkoff’s adaptation as the basis for their memorable version of Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis". Despite being a very well-known theatre practitioner, Berkoff remains one of a handful of artists continuously pushing the boundaries of theatre.

Theatre Anon is one of the few theatre groups in Malta that is currently working in the contemporary field. At its core are the seven founding members – Jes Camilleri, Chris Gatt, Charlotte Grech, Liliana Portelli, Paul Portelli, Pierre Stafrace and Louiselle Vassallo – whose main philosophy is that of creating productions with a strong group ethos. When putting on a production, Theatre Anon involve performers from diverse backgrounds and allow each individual not only to express his or her own interpretation of the text at hand, but also to be directly involved in the development of the performance in other areas of the production: from costumes to make-up; from music to lights; from set design to props.

Since being formed in 1993, Theatre Anon have produced a number of acclaimed productions, including pieces adapted from works by Voltaire (“Candide” in March 1994 and revived in August 1995), and Franz Kafka (“Metamorphosis” in March 2000). The group has also worked in close collaboration with other companies. In August 1996, together with the Toaca Foundation from Bucharest, Theatre Anon produced “Dorde”, a Romanian Folk tale under the direction of Romanian director Nona Ciobanu. A trio of Becket's plays – “Act Without Words”, “Ohio Impromptu” and “Krapp's Last Tape” – were produced in conjunction with Jericho Productions (UK) in March 1997. Another successful production was “Ir-Rewwixta tal-Patalott”, a script tackling the horrors of child abuse devised by one of the members of the group in 1997. The group was also involved in the Millennium Celebrations in a dance theatre performance, which formed part of Renzo Spiteri's 2000 Rhythms. Recently, two members of the group collaborated with Kneehigh Theatre from Cornwall in a site-specific piece entitled “Island of Dreams”, which was set in the picturesque town of Birgu. Theatre Anon's most recent productions were their versions of David Hirson's “La Bete” and “The Knight of Malta” by Massinger, Fletcher and Field.

“Agamemnon” will be performed between 10 and 12 March 2006 at MITP, St Christopher Street, Valletta. Bookings can be made by phoning St James Cavalier on 21 223 216 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Early booking is recommended.