The Travelling Players

The Travelling Players

Year: 1975

Runtime: 223 mins

Language: Greek

Director: Theo Angelopoulos

DramaHistoryWar

This sweeping Greek drama follows a touring troupe of actors who stage the play “Golfo the Shepherdess” across the country during World II. As they travel, the performers find their own lives mirroring ancient myths: Elektra seeks vengeance for her father's death and turns to her brother Orestes, an anti‑fascist rebel for aid in occupied Greece.

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Timeline & Setting – The Travelling Players (1975)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Travelling Players (1975). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1890s; 1939–1952

The film unfolds across two intertwined timeframes. One centers on the 1893 play the troupe stages, a bucolic backdrop of love, betrayal and death. The other follows Greece from the late 1930s through the early 1950s, a period of Metaxas dictatorship, World War II, occupation, liberation, civil war and the beginnings of the postwar era. The contrast shows how historical upheavals intrude upon art and personal lives.

Location

Greece

The traveling players roam through Greece, moving from town to town to stage Golfo the Shepherdess, a 1893 pastoral drama framed within myth and fate. The troupe's performances touch rural villages and urban centers alike, illustrating how theatre binds communities during times of change. The setting links a classical stage world with the modern Greek landscape as history crowds in on their art.

🗺️ Greece 🎭 Theatre ⏳ History

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:20

Main Characters – The Travelling Players (1975)

Meet the key characters of The Travelling Players (1975), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Agamemnon (Stratos Pahis)

A Greek war hero and refugee from Asia Minor, Agamemnon leads by example and bears the weight of betrayal. He goes to war against the Italians in 1940 and later joins the resistance against the Germans, only to be executed by the occupiers after being betrayed by Clytemnestra and Aegisthos. His arc anchors the tragedy in both myth and modern history.

🎖️ War hero 🗡️ Betrayal

Aegisthos (Vangelis Kazan)

Clytemnestra’s lover, a cold informant and collaborator working with the German occupiers. His actions help precipitate the fall of Agamemnon and intensify cycles of vengeance within the family and the country. He embodies the collaboration and moral compromise that haunt the era.

🪖 Occupation collaborator 🔥 Repression

Clytemnestra (Aliki Georgouli)

Elektra’s mother, the emblem of treachery who conspires with Aegisthos. Her choices complicate family bonds and mirror the political betrayals happening around them. Her conflicts drive the tragedy as much as the external war.

💔 Betrayal 🎭 Dramatic

Elektra (Eva Kotamanidou)

Orestes’s sister, a steadfast ally of the leftists who helps her brother in the quest for vengeance. Her resolve links personal grief with political action, making her a driving force in the troupe and in the resistance. She embodies the fusion of art, loyalty and political conviction.

🎭 Protagonist 🕊️ Resistance

Orestes (Petros Zarkadis)

Son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, he fights on the side of the leftists and avenges his father by killing his mother and Aegisthos. He is arrested in 1949 for guerrilla activity and executed in prison in 1951, a fate that underscores the brutal costs of political upheaval.

🛡️ Vengeance 📜 Memory

Chrysothemis (Maria Vassiliou)

Electra’s younger sister who collaborates with the Germans and, during the occupation, prostitutes herself. She later sides with the British during liberation and eventually marries an American, illustrating the shifting loyalties of the era.

🕯️ Complicity 💃 Survival

Pylades (Kiriakos Katrivanos)

A close friend of Orestes who is a Communist exiled by the Metaxas regime. He joins the guerrillas, is arrested and exiled again, and ultimately faces a forced denunciation before being released in 1950, highlighting the personal toll of political strife.

🧭 Ally 🕊️ Solidarity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:20

Major Themes – The Travelling Players (1975)

Explore the central themes of The Travelling Players (1975), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Betrayal

Betrayal threads through both private and political action. Clytemnestra and Aegisthos betray Agamemnon, mirroring how occupiers and collaborators betray their country's trust. The personal treachery intensifies when Orestes seeks vengeance for his father, echoing the larger cycles of betrayal that run through Greek history. The film uses this recurring motif to link mythic violence with wartime complicity.

🪖 Resistance

Resistance is depicted as a moral and practical response to occupation and dictatorship. The troupe’s members align with leftist causes and fight to protect their communities, even when it puts them at risk. Electra is shown aiding her brother in the anti-fascist struggle, while Orestes becomes involved in guerrilla actions. Art and rebellion intertwine as a form of resilience.

📜 Memory

Memory frames the story as myth and history collide. The House of Atreus tragedy echoes in Electra and Orestes’ actions, translating ancient curses into 20th-century political violence. The 1893 play within the film invites viewers to compare timeless themes of power, guilt and fate with the violence of war and occupation. The narrative uses memory to examine how societies remember (or forget) acts of betrayal and sacrifice.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:20

Unlock the Full Story of The Travelling Players

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Travelling Players in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Travelling Players is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Travelling Players Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Travelling Players, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Travelling Players Summary

The Travelling Players Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Travelling Players with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Travelling Players Timeline

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The Travelling Players (1975) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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