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The Oresteia poster
10.0 / 10(1 votes)IMDb19833h 52mUnited Kingdom

The Oresteia

Synopsis

Agamemnon returns home from the Trojan war and is murdered by his wife, setting off a chain of revenge that stretches across this trilogy of play. Directed by Peter Brook for the National Theatre, this is an all-male performance with masks.

Key Information & Fast Facts

Director
Peter Hall
Screenplay & Story
Tony Harrison
Original Score
Harrison Birtwistle
Original Title
The Oresteia
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Spoken Languages
English
Runtime
3h 52m
Production Studios
National Theatre

Creative Leadership & Key Crew

Director

Peter Hall

Screenplay & Story

Tony Harrison, Aeschylus

Original Score & Music

Harrison Birtwistle

Department Leadership Roster

Jocelyn Herbert

Production Design

Peter Hall

Peter Hall

Director

Tony Harrison

Screenplay

Harrison Birtwistle

Original Music Composer

Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Oresteia.

Featured In Curated Collections

Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Oresteia.

National Theatre Live

All productions released by National Theatre Live, UK – either done directly by the Royal National Theatre or other UK venues/producers. [**NationalTheatre.org.uk**](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk) / [**NTLive.com**](https://www.ntlive.com) / [**NTatHome.com**](https://www.ntathome.com) (for its US equivalent, see [**BroadwayHD**](https://www.tmdb.org/company/103196-broadwayhd) and site [**BroadwayHD.com**](https://www.broadwayhd.com).) Some productions were filmed _solely_ for their paid streaming channel "National Theatre at Home", and were branded without the "National Theatre Live" posters which those that also screened in cinemas typically got posters with. (plus: There was a 2009 BBC TV series entry titled "National Theatre Live" with the first five filmed productions that featured additional commentary, at #280519, but this was deleted by a mod!) ______________________________________________________________________ • **2024.05.09.Thu: Plays 1-100** - [**nationaltheatre.org.uk/news/national-theatre-live-100-plays-in-cinemas-1-25**](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/news/national-theatre-live-100-plays-in-cinemas-1-25) _"National Theatre Live broadcast its 100th title, Nye, live from the Olivier stage. Now buckle up as we’re going to take you on a journey through all 100 NT Lives (you heard that right). From our first to our most recent, join us to recount all the incredible plays that have made it from the stage to the screen – with some fun facts thrown in for good measure!"_ ______________________________________________________________________ **What is National Theatre Live (NTL) & National Theatre at Home (NTaH)?** ([**Wikipedia**](https://w.wiki/9grq)) National Theatre Live is an initiative from the National Theatre (formerly "Royal National Theatre") in London, who record their own plays (and also may do/did some live broadcasts to cinemas too) and other non-National Theatre productions from selected indie/West-End theatre plays in London and beyond in the UK (eg. Chichester, et al.). Unless it's a live cinema viewing, typically once the live theatre run has ended these are then shown in cinemas. NTL cinema audiences are able to view play recordings at cinema screenings in the UK and globally (eg. Australia, Taiwan, et al.), with cinema releases either concurrently (or after an initial cinema release) also released on their paid streaming service National Theatre at Home. NTaH launched in 2020 offering access to over 100 productions, with new titles added monthly. All titles include captions, over 90% available with Audio Description, and a selection available in British Sign Language (BSL). Reaching theatre audiences globally, streaming to over 184 countries, a majority of audiences having never visited the National Theatre's South Bank home, and is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. 2026 research showed 99% of NTaH's audiences are outside London, with over 60% saying filmed theatre options support wider discoverability and increased overall theatre experiences.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Oresteia

Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.

What is The Oresteia about?

Agamemnon returns home from the Trojan war and is murdered by his wife, setting off a chain of revenge that stretches across this trilogy of play. Directed by Peter Brook for the National Theatre, this is an all-male performance with masks.

Who directed The Oresteia?

The Oresteia was directed by Peter Hall.

Who stars in The Oresteia?

The principal cast of The Oresteia includes Jim Carter, Robert Cartland, David Bamber, Pip Donaghy, Greg Hicks.

When was The Oresteia released and how long is it?

The Oresteia was released in 1983 with a total runtime of 3h 52m.

Who composed the musical score for The Oresteia?

The original motion picture soundtrack for The Oresteia was composed by Harrison Birtwistle.