Niki – Ancient Theatre of Demetrias

25 & 26 August, Ancient Theatre of Demetrias

Production: WHAT IF?

Genre: Theatre

Time: 21:00

Duration: 90’

Pre-booking for 25th August 

Pre-booking for 26th August 

After the Smyrna Catastrophe, around 12,000 refugees from Ionia, Thrace and Pontus arrived at the city of Volos. In 1923 the creation of a refugee settlement began, which was later called Nea Ionia (New Ionia) and evolved into a small community. Most of the refugees were working in tobacco factories, while they soon began establishing football clubs. One of them was Niki Sports Club, whose story begins in 1924.

Part Α: Dressing-Room

In the in-between space of the team’s dressing-room, we follow the journey of the refugees and their arrival at Volos, their integration into the society and the creation of Niki Sports Club.

Through the use of complicated technological media, multiple sound sources, contemporary electronic music inspired by traditional Smyrna songs, speech and movement, we follow the journey through the sea until the first couple of years in the new land.

Part Β: The Match

In the football field now, the struggle for survival, the competition with the native people, the promotion to the premier league and the integration into the new environment, is depicted through a choreographed football match along with usage of multiple cameras and site-specific projections as the court fills with fans, that is, the descendants that interact with the stage action.

Creative team

Concept: Ginger Creepers (Grigoris Hatzakis / Christos Kapenis)

Script: Ginger Creepers and the troupe

Direction: Grigoris Hatzakis

Sets: Zoi Arvaniti

Costumes: Lila Nova

Choreography: Petrina Giannakou

Music, sound design: Byron Katritsis

Assistant director: Kiki Barbavasiloglou

Performers: Selina Diamantopoulou, Christos Kapenis, Dora Pardali, Vangelis Stratigakos, Orfeas Hadjispyrou