The sacrifice of the king, similar to Death and the King's Horseman comes from Soyinka's Yoruba heritage. In Soyinka's introduction, he says, “By drinking the king’s blood, the community as a whole partakes of his power and all are revitalized and unified.” This is what makes the play fulfil its subtitle of A Communion Rite. Instead of Thebes dissolving into chaos, Pentheus's head begins to spurt blood, that transforms into wine. The ending of the play is much different. Soyinka adds a second chorus to the play, the slaves, to mirror the civil unrest in Nigeria. It was first performed on 2 August 1973 by the National Theatre company at the Old Vic in London. Soyinka wrote the play during his exile in Britain. The Bacchae of Euripides: A Communion Rite is an adaptation by Wole Soyinka of the ancient Greek tragedy The Bacchae by Euripides.
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