The last month of summer is full of music, dance, theatre and art. Ancient theatres and archaeological sites host artists from Greece and abroad and welcome visitors seeking a little breath of culture under the August moon. On the other hand, art mansions and galleries open their doors to works that will take us on a journey into the past and make us reflect on the present.
Let’s see what’s on the cultural agenda for August.
Phoenissae by Euripides, Epidaurus Ancient Theatre
Featuring a splendid team of performers and actors under the helm of director and dramatist Yannis Moschos, Euripides’ Phoenissae returns to Epidaurus in a modern version. Can the sons of Oedipus escape their father’s curse? Do people really want to avoid civil strife and break the cycle of blood? All will be answered at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. Epidaurus, 01.08.2021, 21:00
Valkyrie, Ancient Theatre of Magalopolis
After the Lyric Stage and the Athens Concert Hall, Themelis Glinatsis takes a stroll through Megalopolis to present the first act of Richard Wagner’s Valkyrie. The play comes to life for the first time in an ancient theatre. Wagner draws on a fascinating Norse myth to explore love and revolution, toxic masculinity and family violence. The incorporation of live film and animation excites the imagination and creates a mosaic of experiences, desires and ideologies in conflict. Ancient Theatre of Megalopolis, 03-04.08.2021, 21:30
Brian and Roger Eno, Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Brian and Roger Eno are coming to Athens, where they will perform together on stage for the first time. For this unique musical event they have chosen the Roman Conservatory. In this historic venue we will enjoy a spectacular concert and watch the two brothers compose atmospheric musical landscapes. The two creators have been recording together since 1983 and have delivered stunning works such as Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks and For All Mankind. Odeon of Herodes Atticus, 04.08.2021, 21:00
Euripides’ Helen by the National Theatre of Northern Greece
The National Theatre of Northern Greece and director Vassilis Papavasiliou present Euripides’ Helen at Epidaurus. In the face of the central heroine we see virtue, the power of the oath and intelligence in a deeply anti-war play. Euripides writes a unique tragedy, distinguished for its moments of comic relief. Epidaurus Ancient Theatre, 06-08.08.2021, 21:00
A Requiem at the Archaeological Site of Delphi
International choreographer Spyros Kouvaras presents his new work Rizoma [Requiem for the non-place] at the Archaeological Site of Delphi, specifically for which he created it. Rizoma draws on Gilles Deleuze’s essay Nomadic Thought and also makes references to the Palestinian liberation struggle. The choreography engages in conversation with the archaeological findings and carries elements of primitivism, memory and imagination, while the artist approaches the body as a wandering nomad, rather than as a prisoner of one specific place. Archaeological Site of Delphi, 04-05.08.2021, 21:00#
Mykonos welcomes Emily Ludwig Shaffer
Emily Ludwig Shaffer’s works of art travel from Brooklyn, New York to Greece for the first time and cast anchor in Mykonos. The gallery Dio Horia hosts the artist’s exhibition entitled An Island Refrain, which consists of paintings, acrylics on paper and a large-scale mural. Shaffer’s creations reflect her sense that statues are the remnants of cultures and embody society’s view of its people. Mykonos, Dio Horia Gallery, 23.07-29.08.2021
Marginalia, the Megaron, Athens Concert Hall, Garden
This year the Athens Concert Hall Garden opens a dialogue with the anniversary year 2021 and the 200 years of national life. The exhibition Marginalia -from the Latin margo, marginis- includes five video installations projected on large screens and monitors. The majority of the works are new productions created specifically for Marginalia, while two of the performances were filmed in the Garden itself and in the Atrium of the Megaron. The Megaron, Athens Concert Hall, Garden, 22.07-19.09.2021, 20:00-24:00, daily
Euripides by Euripides, Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus
Dance, theatre and visual arts all combine in a unique work designed by acclaimed performer Euripides Laskaridis especially for the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus. The creator explores aspects of ancient and Modern Greek identity through memories, images, emotions and antiquity itself. Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, 06-07.08.2021, 21:30
Costumes of the National Historical Museum rewrite history in Kalamata
The Kalamata Dance Megaron hosts the exhibition Clothes of the Soul by photographer Vangelis Kyris and embroidery artist Anatoli Georgiev. For the first time, the most representative costumes of the Folklore Collection of the National Historical Museum are depicted by these two artists, in the context of a project that took over two years to complete. The costumes are of priceless historical value and date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Kalamata Dance Megaron, 07.08-11.09.2021, 10:00-22:00, daily
Sacred Tales/Covid-19, Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus
Artist Emilia Papafilippou presents an original artwork commissioned by Athens Epidaurus Festival. The work focuses on the pandemic that leads to an oxymoronic mixture of separation and coherence. It draws its name from its references to the paradoxical text Sacred Tales (Ieroi Logoi) by Aelius Aristides, in which the orator speaks of his treatment by the god Asclepius and his attempt to express himself. Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, 13.08-05.09.2021, 16:00-21:00, daily, except Mondays
Jannis Psychopedis’ Heroes of ‘21
The painter Yannis Psychopedis brings the Heroes of ‘21 to the present day on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821. The exhibition includes paintings, prints and drawings, many of which were created during the quarantine. Bold and bright colours converse with the black and white of the woodcut, and the result evokes both the Greek Revolution and the contrasts of the present. Benaki Museum, 138 Pireos & Andronikou St., 17.07-31.10.2021, daily, except Mondays
The Bacchae by Euripides, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Ars Aeterna and the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Ioannina present Euripides’ Bacchae directed by Nikaiti Kontouri. As she points out, this inexhaustible tragedy is a ritual of emotion, passion, anger and absurdity. Akis Sakellariou and Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos portray Dionysus -who mercilessly punishes anyone who resists nature- and King Pentheus respectively, while Ioanna Pappa portrays the oracle Tiresias. Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, 13-15.08.2021, 21:00
Prometheus Bound, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Performer, director and dramaturge Aris Biniaris tackles Prometheus Bound and, thus, continues his immersion in ancient tragedy. In his own words, this play can be interpreted either as a dark commentary on the present or a bright hope for the future. Prometheus is a timeless symbol of resistance against power and here he is embodied by Yannis Stankoglou. Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, 20-22.08.2021, 21:00
Behind the Theatre by sculptor Andreas Lolis
Andreas Lolis approaches the theatrical side of everyday life through the art installation Behind the Theatre presented in the courtyard of the Olive Factory in Elefsina. The installation was created especially for this space, with the marbled figures of the internationally acclaimed artist intervening in the natural landscape and composing a narrative puzzle that the viewer is invited to complete. Old Olive Oil Factory of Elefsina, Opening: 09.09.2021, 20:30
