The performance Friend with the Mountain converses with the historical identity of zeibekiko, a warlike, Dionysian, and improvisatory male solo dance. From the solitary figure of the fighting man to the ecstatic rhythm of personal struggle, zeibekiko has always represented a field of tension and honour. The piece does not negate this legacy; it retranslates it. Memory and identity are embodied in the figure of a dancing woman.
Choreographer Eva Georgitsopoulou, along with Elina Rizou’s onstage music supervision, creates a ritualistic space where solo dancing returns not to fight but to remember and transform through memory into a collective experience. Friend with the Mountain is a personal tribute, a quiet revolution, and an attempt to establish roots through the body.
Combining theatre with 3D animation, The Will is a subversive performance for young audiences featuring an unexpected finale that addresses the significance of our civilization along with numerous other contemporary issues that will concern our society in the future.
Two siblings, Poseidon and Aurora, live in the virtual world of the internet. They neither work nor socialize; for every decision they are called upon to make, from the smallest to the most important, they rely on Artificial Intelligence for answers and solutions to the issues concerning them. Their daily routine unfolds within four walls until they receive news from a notary that alters the course of their lives. They inherit a historically significant castle from an uncle, which they view as an opportunity to help them realize their consumers’ dreams, once they utilize and exploit it. However, as they haven’t learnt how to think for themselves and make decisions, they turn to Artificial Intelligence for suggestions on how to make the most of the inheritance.
Within the walls of Its Kale, near Ali Pasha’s grave, five women tell the story of Lady Frosyni and the seventeen women who were murdered in the Lake of Ioannina. Four women, using only their voices, sing songs from Epirus while a performer portrays Frosyni, recounting the life she never lived, her dreams, and her experiences.
This dialogue unravels the thread of the story, leading to tomorrow, where the five women hope to live the life they were deprived of. In the end, Frosyni herself monologues about the beauty of life, asking for understanding for the mistakes she made while she was alive. Following the Epirus tradition, we witness a dialogue between music and storytelling, aimed at reminding us of events that could serve as inspiration and lessons today, while also bringing younger generations closer to the history of our land.
* The performance features the following pieces: “As soon as the wave falls asleep” (Traditional song from North Epirus), “I started to come one night” (Traditional song from Polytsani, Pogoni), “White cotton wool” (Traditional song from Polytsani, Pogoni), and “Come out, mother, see the sun” (Traditional song from Konitsa).
How does contemporary society perceive the significance of ideas? Can we put a price on an idea and sell it, as a model of life? Under what conditions and by whom can its value be determined?
Following the satirical spirit of Lucian’s original work Vitarum auctio (Βίων πράσις) and assigning the role of the buyer to the audience, this performance contrasts the philosophical theories of ancient thinkers with the culture of modern influencers, exploring the impact of the past’s intellectual legacy on the present, as well as the fate of philosophical concepts in the contemporary world and its future versions. Through stark sarcasm and humour, and a unique fusion of the ancient and modern worlds, this performance transforms into a philosophical journey, inviting us to join in, if not as interlocutors, then at least as observers.
Electra and Orestes, two young people living in the 2025 Greek countryside, share the stage with two characters of the same names from the well-known ancient Greek myth. Although they are millennia apart, the four of them become caught up in the same vortex of revenge and matricide. They cannot traverse time, yet their thoughts and actions intersect in a completely unexpected way. The thread of one story intertwines with that of the other, and both are driven to deviation. The drama’s key factor is space: the Gates of Hades. There, where the world of the living empties into the world of the dead, and the lines between life and death remain unclear and indistinct. In this place where the outlines of the living blur and merge with the shadows, what could lead someone to desperately wish for another person’s death to achieve redemption? And when the act is committed, does redemption truly come?
The performance Sky from Other Lands is based on Sotiris Dimitriou’s book of the same name, a living monument of language with cracks, inscriptions, and unseen podiums. The central narrator, Alexo, is overwhelmed by an irresistible need to share. Her words surge within her like a rushing current that must definitely find a way out: into a precipice, a big river, a sea, or to an audience member. They want to water, carry away, and drown.
In the shadow of the Archaeological Museum of Arta, Alexo breaks vessels that conceal secrets of the past, exchanges coins – both counterfeit and genuine –, plays with figurines like a girl with her dolls, wears expensive jewellery or undresses, and kindles the candlelight on the tombstones of graves where both enemies and loved ones rest – including her own. A ritual of life that becomes a confession of guilt, nostalgia, and rejuvenating disaster, beneath the light of a dancing sun. Alexo’s words – fragmentary and soft, funny or daring, obscene, generous, weird, majestic – weave a tapestry with secret warps: God’s unknown plan.
The musical performance Echoes of Time – From the Art of Petroloukas Halkias to Contemporary Creation brings the musical tradition of Epirus into the present day by blending its deep history and cultural significance with contemporary arrangements, original compositions, and modern dance.
Drawing on the art of the legendary Petroloukas Halkias and the extensive repertoire of Epirus music, the select Epirus ensemble of the Holy Metropolis of Ioannina, in collaboration with internationally acclaimed lutist Vasilis Kostas, who supervises the ensemble’s performance and musical direction, creates a vibrant dialogue with the past.
The orchestra, comprising sixteen young musicians consistently trained in Epirus folk music, creates dynamic conversations and bridges with the contemporary musical landscape. Participating as a prominent guest will be the virtuoso of the Constantinopolitan lyra, Sokratis Sinopoulos. A special groundbreaking feature of the show will be the collaboration with dancers Charitini Koukou and Marilia Haremi, who transform the pieces into a contemporary movement approach, reflecting the stories behind the compositions. The performance also features the great instrumentalists Andreas Pappas (percussion), Panagiotis Aivazidis (qanun), and Panagiotis Georgakopoulos (drums), offering a comprehensive artistic experience.
How important is it for a child to follow their dreams and not those of other people? How much courage does someone need to admit their resemblance to the “enemy”?
It is difficult for someone to discuss about politics with a child. It is hard to present them History and its curses in an objective way. Sometimes though, the infallible mirror of a myth, does not hide these issues – it reveals them, more clearly, in a more “digestible” form than ever before.
The work is inspired by the enchanting Asia Minor fairy tale “Machaira” (Knife). It tells the story of two friends, a prince and a poor child, who were violently separated but then found each other again, through a journey in search of the “Great Idea”.
Three narrators will traverse the multicultural Asia Minor portraying images in three sections.
Before, during and in the wake of the Disaster. An intertextual performance inspired by historical events, Dido Sotiriou’s novel Farewell Anatolia (Matomena Homata) and Geis Milton’s The Lost Paradise-Smyrna 1922, as well as by myths and written accounts. Memories and testimonies of real persons who lived in Asia Minor come to life and transport us to the magical world of Smyrna, there where the East and the West harmonically co-exist. But also in the subsequent tragedy. The tragedy of the Catastrophe and persecution. Melodies and live music, songs, local treats, feelings of joy and pain, they all create the canvas of the history of Asia Minor.
Using imagination as a vehicle of expression and communication, a story is created for the whole family. A peaceful celebration to acquaint ourselves with Izmir and the cultural heritage of Asia Minor.
The work is set in 1950s Greece in a train compartment hosting refugees from various areas of Asia Minor, Pontus and Cappadocia. As is often the case with travelling, passengers start telling stories both about their motherlands before the uprooting and about the adventures of their settlement in Greece.
Through original songs and texts, six stories of people unfold, showcasing their memories from their motherland before the uprooting and their nostalgia for it, their adventurous journey to Greece and the problems of their adaptation and integration into the new environment, but also a series of positive influences, brought about by the refugee influx into the economic and intellectual life of Greece.
The wandering ticket inspector is the one who conveys how natives view the Greeks of the East.