The Greek National Opera launches a collaboration with the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Kavala, aiming to strengthen its network of partnerships with organizations across Greece and support new artistic creations. As part of this partnership and a new, joint initiative, the four new productions from this year’s 68th Philippi Festival will travel to Athens, hosted by the GNO, from 12 to 16 September 2025. These productions were all commissioned from emerging artists by the Festival, which is organized by the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Kavala.

Three of these performances – (Tree)², The Infallibility of One (1) DaisY, Rock + Thread + Heart = – will be held at the Stavros Niarchos Hall Backstage at the SNFCC on the 12^th, 13^th, and 14^th of September, bringing the audience in direct contact with site-specific works. The fourth production – (All)^ν those things we leave behind < for a tomorrow that will never come… – will take place at sea on the 15^th and 16^th of September, along the Piraeus – Egina route, transforming the ship into a stage and turning the journey into a memorable experience.

Inspired by the life and work of Chronis Missios – a literary figure and member of the Greek Resistance from Kavala to whom this year’s Festival is dedicated – and guided by the paradoxical equation of generosity 8-3=11, the performances will engage in open dialogue with the institution’s theme, connecting speech, music, and performance to the surrounding space and the audience.

More specifically, the productions included in the Philippi Festival are:

(Tree)²

GNO Backstage – SNFCC

12, 13, 14 September 2025 • Starts at: 18.00

Concept, direction: Vasilis Apostolatos • Music: Michalis Paraskakis • Dramaturgy: Zoe Xanthopoulou • Sets, lighting design: Vasilis Apostolatos | Cast: Danai-Arsenia Filidou, Anastasis Georgoulas

The production (Tree)², inspired by the life and work of Chronis Missions, brings two young people—a boy and a girl—on stage, each trapped in different places, times, and confinements. In a world where the lines between fantasy and reality blur, the heroes discuss, clash, and seek freedom, negotiating memory, the body, life, death, and the very concept of freedom.

Rodez Theatre Group

The Infallibility of One (1) DaisY

Every seed has the potential to become a tree

GNO Orchestra Hall – SNFCC

12, 13, 14 September 2025 • Starts at: 19.30

Text: Chronis Missios • Direction: Sonia Kalaitzidou, Marios Kritikopoulos • Dramaturgy: Rodez Theatre Group • Music, onstage musician: Nikitas Kissonas • Movement, choreography: Nikolas Hatzivasiliadis • Set, lighting design: Vasilis Apostolatos • Costumes: Alexandra-Anastasia Ftouli | Cast: Nikos Yalelis, Marios Kritikopoulos, Anthi Savvaki, Electra Sarri

Inspired by the life and literary oeuvre of Chronis Missions, the performance The Infallibility of One (1) DaisY – a commission by the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Kavala – recounts the brief story of a great man, a romantic fighter. Using the body, voice, and technology as tools, four narrators and a musician portray fragments of struggles, dreams, and disappointments on stage. A romantic story from an old time quite resembling our own.

Rock + Thread + Heart =

A scenic dream fantasy inspired by Mount Pangaion

GNO Backstage – SNFCC

12, 13, 14 September 2025 • Starts at: 21.00

Concept, direction, texts, lighting design: Michalis Angelidis • Original music, sound design: Nikos Sotirelis • Sets, costumes, special constructions: Afroditi Psychouli | Cast: Michalis Angelidis, Dimitris Galanakis

This production is a hybrid of modern dance, theatre, and performance that reimagines myths, customs, and local ecological narratives. It draws on the collective imaginary surrounding Mount Pangaion, which comprises the Dionysian tradition, the presence of Orpheus, landscape transformations, and local customs such as “Arapides” and “Babo.” Two performers and a female chorus create a new stage mythology, where the human and non-human elements co-exist.

(All) those things we leave behind < for a tomorrow that will never come

A performance at sea / an experience for the desires that never reached port.

15, 16 September 2025 • Starts at: 19.00

Concept, direction: Marios Kakoullis • Text, associate dramaturg: Eri Kyrgia • Music: Andreas Valachis • Movement: Haris Kousios | Cast: Symeon Kostakoglou, Anastasis Georgoulas, Giorgos Ziakas, Thodoris Vrachas, Spyros Bosgas

Aboard the ship connecting Piraeus with Egina, an exceptional performance will come to life, inspired by truths expressed in Chronis Missios’ work. An ode to everything we didn’t dare to pursue: desires left half-spoken, words that never found their way to our lips, and gazes that turned elsewhere. This is not an ordinary journey; it is an immersive experience at sea.

Useful information:

1. The ship Antigone will depart from Gate E8 at the port of Piraeus at 18.15 (sharp). It is recommended to arrive for boarding at least one hour earlier, by 17.30.
2. The total duration of the onboard performance (Piraeus – Aegina – Piraeus), including the stay at the port of Aegina, is three and a half (3.5) hours.
3. The performance will be presented on the Piraeus – Aegina route. During the return trip to Piraeus, there will be live music on deck.
4. As the performance involves moving to different parts of the ship, audiences are advised to wear comfortable clothes and shoes.

*Warm thanks are due to the Philharmonic of the Municipality of Aegina and Saronic Ferries.