The Guardian’s review judges Simon Stone’s new version of *The Oresteia* at London’s Bridge theatre to be both compelling and frustrating: an ambitious, modern reworking of Aeschylus that sustains tension but loses some of the original tragedy’s moral force. The production matters because it turns a foundational Greek story about vengeance, guilt and justice into a contemporary drama about wealth, war and family power, while also blending in elements from other classical plays. The reviewer finds the result theatrically gripping, especially in its first section, but ultimately uneven in structure and character motivation.

Stone relocates the story to a privileged modern family headed by a tech executive, Christopher, played by David Morrissey, and his wife Montie, played by Mary-Louise Parker, whose performance is singled out as especially powerful. The plot moves backwards and forwards from pre-Brexit Britain through the pandemic to the present, with the killings reported before they are shown, and with references to conflicts involving Russia and child deaths caused by weapons sales. While the reverse chronology maintains suspense, the reviewer argues that the characters can feel flat or inconsistent, that Montie’s motives are unclear, and that by softening Christopher’s responsibility for his daughter’s death, the adaptation weakens the chain of cause, guilt and consequence that drives the original.