The Schaubühne Theatre rehearsed for over a year before the 9-hour epic in three parts had its premier in October 1980. Several translations and versions of the text were used as a basis for the production, to ensure that the 2.500 year-old mythological work is played as authentically as possible. The first part of Aeschylus' tragedy is "Agamemnon", in which the King of Argos (Gunter Berger) returns victorious from Troy after sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia and is slaughtered by his wife Clytaemnestra (Edith Clever), as in his prisoner of war, Cassandra (Elke Petri).
In "Choephoroe" Orestos (Udo Samel), driven on by Apollo, revenges his father by killing his mother and her lover Aegisthus (Peter Fitz), supported by his sister Elektra (Tina Engel) and the Chorus (Jutta Lampe, Susanne Meierhofer, Christine Oesterlein, Christiane Petersen, Elke Petri).
In "Euminides" Orestos journeys to Delphi to be absolved, but is only freed after Athena has intervened in the court of the Areopagus in Athens.
A tragedy beyond the dimension of time, dealing with anarchy, despotism, democracy, the power of speech and the instinct of feeling, fate and ethics - very powerful.