Hippolytus (in the arms of Aphrodite)
Hippolytus (in the arms of Aphrodite), an immersive augmented reality theatre experience, directed by Yolanda Markopoulou and produced by the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in Greece, after its sold-out presentation in New York City as a part of Re–Fest, CultureHub’s annual art and technology festival at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, returns to Athens as part of the Athens Digital Arts Festival.
Rooted in Euripides’ mythic tale, the performance explores the tragic fate of Hippolytus, He is devoted to Artemis and sworn to chastity, thus he rejects Aphrodite, goddess of love. In revenge, she curses him by making his stepmother, Phaedra, fall madly in love with him. The piece blends live performance, augmented visual layers and innovative sound design to construct a hybrid immersive world. As Aphrodite’s fury intensifies and the divine vengeance unfolds, the natural world unravels—trees ignite, landscapes decay, and catastrophe looms. Audiences witness a mythic downfall where divine vengeance reshapes both human fate and the natural environment.
Performed live with two actors, the production combines AR visuals and spatial audio, offering audiences a multi-sensory journey. Equipped with AR glasses, spectators don’t just watch—they become participants in Aphrodite’s revenge.
Disclaimer
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
The performance was developed as a pilot evaluation of the Horizon Europe project VOXReality, Voice-driven interaction in XR spaces, supported by the Maggioli Group, to study the technology’s performance, audience interaction with augmented-reality elements, and accessibility through multilingual subtitling. For more details, visit https://voxreality.eu.
Yolanda Markopoulou | GR
Yolanda Markopoulou is a director and producer creating interdisciplinary works across theatre, documentary, and virtual reality. Her projects have been presented internationally, blending storytelling and new technologies with a strong focus on social reflection. She is the founder of Polyplanity Productions, SYNERGY-O, and co-founder of mind the fact. Her work explores themes such as personal and intergenerational memory, individual and collective identity, and is often presented in unconventional, non-theatrical spaces.