De Perzen

Dood Paard presents a performance of the oldest play we know in Western history: The Persians, written by Aeschylus (b. 525 BC). In this play he criticises the imperialist course taken by Greece in his day, and warns against Greek pride. Dood Paard has made a new adaptation of the play and reduces the tragedy to its core: a story about the overconfident enemy.

• Dood Paard is an Amsterdam theatre company that has existed for more than 17 years and has staged work by writers such as Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, Arthur Schnitzler, Rob de Graaf and Gerardjan Rijnders. Together with Maatschappij Discordia, the group created the hilarious philosophical farce Mannetje met de lange lul, which was also presented in the Kaaistudios.

Xerxes is a young king
The son of the legendary Darius
He has assembled an army
Comprising almost all the Asian kings and viceroys
They are moving towards the small city of Athens
By sea
And overland
Xerxes has ordered a bridge to be built
Across the Bosporus
Tens of thousands of soldiers cross it
A good move
It will be an easy war
Expect Xerxes
And then all the Greeks will be conquered.