Event Category: Theater

Change: Method
A stage adaptation based on the eponymous book by Édouard Louis

It’s evening. We are in a room, filled with books, papers, and notes. In this room, a young man is trying to write. He wants to become a writer. Suddenly, another young man appears in the room, deciding to help him remember his past. The two men dive into the memory of the first one. Through this dive, we travel with them from a village in northern France to Paris. The young man who wants to become a writer will remember his high school years, faces, and situations that marked him, but mainly the process of reinventing himself and the need to escape from his past. From the beginning of the narrative, we realize that these two men are the same person. The self that wishes to become a writer is the present self, the self that wants to evolve, to move forward, while the other is the past/teenage self, a self filled with guilt and fear of the future, the self that would like to stay and constantly blames the present self for the people and places left behind. The conflict between the past and present self is inevitable.

Édouard Louis’ book, Change: Method, served as the starting point for a journey with Dionysis and Konstantinos, exploring the concept of identity in its broader sense, including sexual, class, and social identity, and how a personal story can take on social and political dimensions. Through this story, we follow the personal struggle of a person to change, to transform, to evolve, and to escape from their past.

Directorial Note:

We were not all born with the same opportunities, and not all of us were born in privileged environments. Some people come into this world learning to live under conditions of degradation. The story of this boy, from a poor family in a village in northern France, gives voice to these social classes and people who have a pre-determined and difficult future. Although I was much luckier than this boy, his story speaks to my heart, because which person doesn’t ultimately want to be loved? Which person doesn’t want to be accepted by others? Who hasn’t felt different from others, even once, at some point in their life? Who doesn’t want to find their place in this world? Only inspiration, strength, and courage do I draw from this story that Louis offers us, to move forward, to evolve, and to change myself as well. And perhaps one proof of this is the fact that I am making this performance.

I will close with a quote from Sartre, in which I believe the essence of the play Change: Method is encapsulated: “What matters is not how they made you, but what you do with what they made you.”

Eva Fraktopoulou

Important Note
Entrance is recommended for individuals aged 16 and above.

(I am) The Labyrinth 2.0

After a highly successful run with continuous sold-out performances, I am The Labyrinth returns for a limited number of shows, inviting the audience into an experience unlike any other.

I am the monster, I am the myth, I am the Labyrinth.

Directed by Riginos R, 14 international performers invite you to step into the heart of the narrative and immerse yourself in Europe’s oldest myth.

I am The Labyrinth enacts, experiences, and embraces this descent, guiding the audience through the threads of art—dance, poetry, video installations, and music—leading to the depths of the human soul. As the myth’s red thread unravels, the audience is drawn into an initiation, a journey of discovery through spectacle and experience.

The Labyrinth manifests as an expression of the collective subconscious and its mystery. Entering and solving the Labyrinth is an archetypal initiation into the self, culminating in the encounter with the Minotaur—the symbol of the ancient, the unknown, and the deeply personal. The monster within us lurks, and the exit illuminates the journey.

I am The Labyrinth invites you to surrender to an experience that leads through unpredictable, dark paths. Here, love, power, and myth converge to awaken the deepest and most unspoken aspects of our being. The Labyrinth and the Monster embody our fears of the unknown, of the forbidden. This ritualistic, immersive performance places the human body at its core—a body that narrates, records, desires, and suffers. It seeks to penetrate the Labyrinth while simultaneously searching for the way out. The Labyrinth becomes an experience for the audience.

What to Expect

• Strictly for adults (18+) – Contains intense scenes of violence and sexual content.
• Complete darkness, loud music, and intense lighting.
• Direct interaction with performers.
• Recording is strictly prohibited—this is an experience to be lived.

Radiant Vermin
by Philip Ridley

-Hello, I’m Jill.
-And I’m Ollie.
-This is our son Benjy.
-We’d like to tell you about our home.
-Our dream home.
-That’s right.
-How we got it.
-Exactly. Because . . . well . . .
-We’re good people.

Radiant Vermin by Philip Ridley is a dark and sharp satire. A surreal, black comedy that explores the lengths a young couple will go to in order to secure the home of their dreams during the housing crisis. Seizing the extraordinary opportunity presented to them, they embark on a nightmarish journey that highlights the consequences of materialism, gentrification, the homelessness phenomenon, greed, and the obsession with social status. Awkward, funny, and provocative, Ridley’s play serves as a powerful critique of consumer culture and the moral sacrifices we make to satisfy our insatiable needs.

Against Progress – A Field of Memory

Dulcinea Compania presents Against Progress – A Field of Memory by Esteve Soler, translated by Maria Chatzimmanouil and adapted by Ioanna Kanellopoulou and Anna-Maria Iakovou.

In a world where information floods every corner and time rushes forward, a groundbreaking program, Exhalation, revives the memories of a woman’s final days.

With shades of pop and sci-fi aesthetics, a universe unfolds—paradoxical yet eerily familiar—where humans drift between loss, longing, and the quiet hum of technology.

Ionesco once wrote: “It is not easy at all to be nowhere.”

The performance is suitable for audiences aged 16 and above.

Duration: 73 minutes

Under the auspices of the Institut Français.

Duration: 90 minutes.

I WANT A COUNTRY
By Andreas Flourakis

There is no future for us here.

A group of young people feel they have no alternative but to leave their country. They come together to think, and dream of a new world.

Andreas Flourakis’ interdisciplinary work, written during Greece’s severe debt crisis, imagines a chorus of Greek youth as they lay out a manifesto of yearning for the homeland of their dreams. Will their desires come true?

The show features an international cast of FONACT actors and is performed in English.

Grandma, One Day Everything Will Die
(A performance about the end of the world)
Directed by: Giorgos Pavlou

Grandma has dementia. The family tries to help. They do everything they can. Everyone attempts to remind her of something from the “old days,” to shake her memory, to keep her alive through the past. But as they try to awaken her memories, it becomes clear that the past is already dead—nothing from Grandma’s world exists anymore.

Could it be that the end of the world is constantly repeating, and we are never there to witness it?

Giorgos Pavlou, along with last year’s graduates of the Drama School of the Athens Conservatory, presents a performance about the end of the world.

The theatrical text Grandma, One Day Everything Will Die emerged from the course Creative Writing – Performance Dramaturgy (Drama School of the Athens Conservatory, 2023-24).

Duration: 65′

With a double cast:

• Artemis Valtzaki performs on March 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
• Danae Georgoula performs on March 31, April 1, 7, 8, 14, 15

“CARNAGE”
by Makis Semertzidis

The human soul often remains bound—by psychological trauma, societal expectations, fear of truth and  of one’s real self. It feels as if you are watching life through an indistinct, rigid, transparent wall, longing in vain to tear down what keeps you at a distance, while others live a life you cannot reach.

What is the first act of violence? What are the stages of this evolving brutality that shape the formation of a young person? The perception of violence takes on different dimensions. It is not only physical but also existential—where the refusal to mature, the suppression of identity, and unhealed wounds shape life as decisively as fate itself.

In this play, we explore the trapped self—Sebastian, an eternal child in a man’s body, and Violet, rewriting reality to maintain control. These two, almost archetypal figures, are transformed when a new force disrupts their fragile balance. Each character is imprisoned, confined by societal barriers and personal ghosts, seeking refuge in fantasy, only to discover that illusion is both sanctuary and trap.

“After the End”
by Dennis Kelly

The psychological thriller by award-winning British playwright Dennis Kelly will be performed at PLYFA from March 5th, every Wednesday and Thursday at 21:00, directed by Anna Micheli, starring two outstanding young actors, Foivos Papakostas and Katerina Spyrou.

Dennis Kelly, one of the most intriguing voices in contemporary British drama, is highly regarded in Greece. His plays, such as Orphans, DNA, Osama the Hero, Debris, Love and Money, Girls and Boys, and the musical Matilda (based on Roald Dahl’s book), have been staged with great success. After the End, written in 2005, proves to be prophetic—a psychological thriller about power dynamics and the ways people manipulate each other in extreme circumstances.

Synopsis:
When the world, society, and the rules you knew have collapsed, what do you do? When stepping outside means death, how do you survive? How slowly does time pass within four walls? How quickly do relationships and people change when they only have each other?
Louise and Mark are colleagues. A nuclear explosion has forced them into an underground shelter, where they must remain until radiation levels drop and it is safe to leave. In this forced confinement, their best and worst instincts emerge. A complex relationship of intimacy, manipulation, and abuse unfolds through the minutes, hours, and days they spend together, isolated from the outside world. How much of themselves can they bear to lose? Or perhaps—how much can they reveal?

Director’s Note:
I first came across After the End 15 years ago while studying directing in London. Back then, I saw a well-crafted play with three-dimensional characters and a gripping plot full of twists. The dystopian premise of forced confinement due to an external threat seemed like a work of fiction. After our recent collective experience, I now see the play differently. A confined space. Two people—a man and a woman—forced to coexist for an uncertain period, trapped in a shelter. The threat of death if they step outside. These elements now feel unsettlingly familiar. After the End compels us to question who we are within the “normality” of our world, how we present ourselves to others, and how swiftly we shed our identities when survival becomes the priority and fear dominates. Another crucial question the play raises—one that has preoccupied me a lot recently—is how an abusive relationship begins. What are the tactics, the words, the comments, the restrictions? How is manipulation built? How does someone slowly become trapped in a controlling dynamic with no apparent escape? At what point does it become clear who the perpetrator is and who the victim? Are we who we think we are, or are we defined by our actions? Mark and Louise seem to embody two opposing sides of the same civilized world—two contrasting social and political perspectives. Stripped of any connection to society or civilization, they are forced to confront themselves and each other. — Anna Micheli

Content Warning: Some scenes contain intense violence
Duration: 90 minutes (no intermission)
Suitable Age: 18+

“Je reviens”
A Toast to Undelivered Loves

No.
My harmonious, sweet ocea—
Neither.
My dear beloved.
Or rather,
Incredible baby!
My breath.
My man.
My crown.
No. No. No.
Isn’t a single word truly worth it?

Do not call me “beloved” if I am not, do not send me “warm regards” if you do not mean them. Sing me a song. Perhaps I will understand more. Is that too much to ask?

Outside, drums, trumpets, choral music pierces the silence. Saint-Saëns, Holst, Baltas, van der Laag, Polemi intertwine with the words of Seferis, Sikelianos, Rimbaud, Verlaine, a Portuguese nun. Or are they mine?

I wanted to sign off with “yours forever.” Nothing could be more wrong. Better to say je reviens. In a song. Will this phrase become the permanent epilogue of the letters I never sent?

Let’s drink to that!

The renÉssence Vocal Ensemble is an a cappella vocal group founded in 2019 in Corfu by seven young musicians, all graduates of the Ionian University. Since 2021, it has been based in Athens, where it creates concerts and performances, combining repertoire from the Renaissance to the 21st century with elements of speech and movement.

The ensemble has performed at major events, such as the European Youth Days and the Sacré Sacred Music Events. Recently, it presented the performance Je reviens in two sold-out shows at the Baggeion Hotel and recorded the piece A Dream by Manthos Damigos.

Duration: 70 minutes (without intermission)
Suitable for ages: 15+